M'  M^m^f'''-tl:-]:^S' 


Mi* 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

PRINTER 


%juu    ,oC.    2^    /^ 


THEODORE   LOW 
DE  VINNE 

PRINTER 


NEW  YORK 

PRIVATELY  PRINTED 

1915 


nmwxRY! 

CmVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
5^    T^S^  SANTA  BARBARA 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  Printer 3 

Biographical  Sketch  by  Henry  Lewis  BuUen. 

Memorial  Meeting 13 

Address  by  John  Clyde  Oswald 14 

Address  by  Robert  Underwood  Johnson 22 

Address  by  Walter  Gilliss 33 

Resolutions  of  Corporations,  Societies,  and  Clubs     .    .  41 

The  Typotheta2 43 

The  Century  Co ♦ 45 

The  Grolier  Club 47 

Boston  Typothetaa  Board  of  Trade 49 

Printers'  League  of  America 50 

Club  of  Printing  House  Craftsmen 51 

The  DeVinne  Press  Mutual  Aid  Association 52 

The  Society  of  Printers,  Boston 53 

American  Institute  of  Graphic  Arts 54 

Ben  Franklin  Club  of  Cincinnati    . 56 

The  General  Society  of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen 57 

The  Hispanic  Society  of  America 58 

The  American  Numismatic  Society 59 

Informal  Tributes  of  Friends,  Business  Associates, 

and  the  Press 63 

Bibliography: 

Books  written  by  Mr.  DeVinne , 97 

Books  to  which  Mr.  DeVinne  contributed lOI 

Contributions  by  Mr.  DeVinne  to  Periodicals 104 


NOTE 

This  book  has  grown  out  of  a  desire  to  put  into  permanent  form 
the  expressions  of  love ^  appreciation ^  and  esteem  which  came 
from  friends^  business  associates^  and  the  outside  world^  upon 
the  death  on  February  16^  19^4^  of  Theodore  Low  T)eVinne. 

/Is  too  pretentious  a  volume  would  have  been  distasteful  to 
Mr,  T)eVinne^  it  has  not  been  possible  to  find  room  for  all 
of  the  numerous  tributes  to  his  memory^  deeply  appreciated 
though  they  are  by  his  family  and  by  the  Company  which 
bears  his  name.  The  work  of  selection  has  been  guided  by  a 
desire  to  show^  without  needless  repetition^  the  breadth  of 
Mr,  T>eVinne^s  interests  and  influence^  and  the  affectionate 
admiration  and  emulation  which  it  was  his  rare  gift  to  inspire 
in  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact, 

/Ifter  a  careful  study  of  the  types  of  the  early  printers^ 
Mr,  T>eVinne  selected  the  type  devised  by  Franz  ^enner  of 
Venice^  and  first  used  by  him  in  his  edition  of  the  ^^Quad- 
ragesimale  '^  of  1472,  Using  it  as  his  model^  he  designed  a 
new  type^  combining  legibility  with  marked  grace  of  form^ 
which  he  named  ^enner.  This  type^  embodying  the  results 
of  his  mature  judgment^  has  been  chosen  for  this  memorial, 

J.  W.  <B. 

New  York 
T>ecember 

1915 


BIOGRAPHICAL 
SKETCHES 


"  I  shall  not  live  to  see  it,  but  I  hope  that  the  time  will  come 
when  the  making  of  a  good  book,  from  the  mechanical  point 
of  view,  will  be  regarded  as  an  achievement  quite  as  worthy 
as  the  painting  of  a  good  picture." 

Theodore  Low  'DeVinne 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

PRINTER 


H  E  most  impressive  fact  in  the  life  of 
Theodore  Low  DeVinne  was  his  per- 
sistent upward  progress.  His  aspira- 
tions and  mental  activities  and  enthu- 
siasms knew  no  ebb.  His  fame  was 
always  in  the  ascendant.  Hisbest  work 
was  done  at  an  a^e  when  most  men — 
even  those  of  superior  capacity — have 
lost  enthusiasm  and  are  losing  their  place  in  the  current  of 
affairs. 

Eminently  practical,  decisively  technical,  a  safe  and 
sound  financier,  he  had  the  qualifications  which  are  essen- 
tial to  the  make-up  of  that  ^rim  individual,  the  hard-headed 
business  man.  He  devoted  a  lar^e  proportion  of  his  time 
to  the  promotion  of  printing;  but  this  concentration,  which 
narrows  the  minds  of  many  so-called  successful  men,  culti- 
vated in  Mr.  DeVinne's  life  a  constantly  increasing  enthusi- 
asm for  his  art,  which  brought  unwearying  pleasure  to  his 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

mind,  and  gradually  blossomed  into  a  splendid  reputation. 
The  fruitage  is  a  fame  justly  earned  and  enduring. 

Viewed  from  every  angle,  Mr.  De  Vinne's  life  was  a  suc- 
cess: as  head  of  a  family,  he  was  devoted  and  generous; 
as  an  employer,  just,  tolerant,  and  paternal ;  as  a  citizen, 
unexcelled  in  probity;  as  a  business  man,  wisely  economi- 
cal; as  a  guide  and  mentor  of  printing  fraternities,  modest 
to  a  degree,  earnest  in  action,  indefatigably  loyal;  and  as 
master  of  his  art,  an  inspiration  to  all  craftsmen  engaged  in 
or  allied  with  typography.  He  did  more  than  any  other 
American  printer  to  create  public  esteem  for  the  printer's 
work,  especially  among  the  scholarly.  His  life  proved  again 
that  business — buying  and  selling  and  manufacturing — may 
be  made  as  noble  and  as  fertile  with  service  to  the  community 
as  any  of  the  learned  professions  or  fine  arts.  He  idealized 
printing,  and  that  ideal  was  the  firm  foundation  upon  which 
he  built  his  reputation. 

Master  of  its  history,  he  appreciated  the  greatness  of  his 
occupation,  and  made  it  respected  by  others.  He  knew  that 
he  was  a  master  of  a  civilizing  force  which  is  second  to 
none,  and  that  this  force  might  be  expressed  by  exquisite 
art.  Thus  he  enjoyed  every  laborious  day,  and  through  each 
day  he  advanced  toward  his  ever-ascending  ideal;  for,  like 
all  great  characters,  he  knew,  to  quote  Carlyle,  one  of  his 
favorite  authors,  that  **the  greatest  of  faults  is  to  be  con- 
scious of  none." 

Mr.  DeVinne  was  not  a  genius.  Like  Franklin,  he  had 
great  natural  talent.  Surrounded  by  men  of  equal  ability, 
he  excelled  in  the  use  of  his  talents  and  in  the  cherishing 
of  an  ideal.  Writing  in  October,  I913,  he  said:  ** Printers 
should  be  inspired  with  more  love  and  admiration  for  their 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

trade.  When  any  printer  follows  his  trade  simply  because  it 
is  to  be  a  money-making  trade  he  makes  a  serious  mistake. 
I  would  go  even  further  in  saying  that  a  prosperous  printer 
will  be  more  successful  when  he  can  inspire  the  buyers  of 
printing  in  all  its  forms  with  the  understanding  that  meri- 
torious printing  is  really  a  worthy  branch  of  the  fine  arts." 
This  is  one  of  the  last  utterances  of  the  greatest  authority 
in  America  on  the  history,  art,  and  literature  of  printing. 

Theodore  Low  De  Vinne  had  the  advantage  of  good  par- 
entage, inheriting  a  love  of  learning  and  high  principles. 
His  father,  Daniel  De  Vinne,  was  a  Methodist  minister, 
born  in  Londonderry,  Ireland,  in  1 793? brought  to  this  coun- 
try in  his  infancy,  and  residing  until  his  eleventh  year  in 
Charleston,  Montgomery  County,  New  York.  He  was  a 
schoolmaster  in  Brooklyn  in  I8I2.  He  was  ordained  in 
I8I9,  and  the  rule  of  his  church  caused  him  to  preach  in 
many  communities  in  New  England,  New  York,  and  the 
Southern  States.  He  was  proficient  in  Latin  and  Greek, 
taught  his  sons  Latin  (which  proved  helpful  in  later  years 
to  Theodore),  and  wrote,  among  other  works,  ^*The  Irish 
Primitive  Church,''  which  is  an  authority  on  the  life  of  St. 
Patrick.  He  married  Joanna  Augusta  Low,  a  fortunate 
choice,  for  her  character  strongly  influenced  her  children 
for  good.  He  had  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  four  of  his 
sons  becoming  printers;  and  two,  bookbinders.  An  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Harper  brothers,  all  active  Methodists  and 
all  successful  printers,  probably  determined  the  vocations 
of  the  De  Vinne  lads.  John,  the  eldest,  entered  the  Harper 
establishment  as  apprentice.  It  is  related  that  on  one 
occasion  Theodore,  the  second  son,  then  aged  seven  years, 
accompanied  his  father  and  his  brother  to  Harper's, entering 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

a  printing-plant  for  the  first  time.  He  attended  schools  in 
Catskill,  Amenia,  and  White  Plains  until  his  fourteenth 
year  (1842),  when  he  be^an  to  learn  the  printing  business 
in  the  office  of  the  Newburgh  ''Gazette,"  the  owner  of 
which  was  a  literary  printer.  In  1848  he  ventured  to  New 
York  City,  working  in  several  printing-plants,  newspaper 
composing-rooms,  and  a  stereotype  foundry,  until  in  1850 
he  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  employed  as  a  journeyman 
compositor  in  the  establishment  of  Francis  Hart,  a  fine  man 
and  a  model  employer,  and  there  found  his  life-work. 

Francis  Hart  was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts, 
in  1 8  I  5  ;  entered  the  printing-house  of  an  uncle  in  that  city 
at  the  age  of  twelve ;  began  business  in  New  York,  in  1 843» 
at  I  Pine  Street;  later  (1843)  he  was  at  106  Broadway, 
and  in  1 847  moved  to  2  and  4  Thames  Street.  It  was  there 
that  young  DeVinne  first  worked  for  Hart.  In  185  I  the  busi- 
ness went  to  I  I  7  Liberty  Street;  in  1 85 3,  to  the  corner  of 
Washington  and  Cortlandt  Streets;  in  1872,  to  63  and  65 
Murray  Street,corner  of  College  Place;  in  1 886,  to  393-399 
Lafayette  Street,  the  present  home  of  The  DeVinne  Press. 
In  1848  Mr.  Hart  had  advertised  his  business  for  sale  for 
seven  thousand  dollars,  and  had  printed  an  inventory  from 
which  it  is  learned  that  he  had  one  Hoe  cylinder  press,  23  by 
28-inch  bed,  operated  by  hand-wheel,  three  hand-presses, 
and  a  Gillman  card-press.  The  plant  was  illuminated  by 
five  camphene  lamps  and  twenty  candlesticks.  The  reason 
for  selling  was  the  desire  to  *'  engage  in  some  active,  health- 
promoting  business,  in  order  that  before  he  [Hart]  dies  he 
may  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  eating  and  drinking  in  modera- 
tion, without  suffering  the  pangs  of  dyspepsia,  and  that  he 
may  know  what  it  is  to  have  elastic  spirits  and  a  clear  head, 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

if  indeed  it  is  not  too  late/'  The  business  was  good,  but  its 
owner  was  really  an  invalid  and  discouraged,  not  knowing 
that  as  he  penned  his  lamentation  a  young  man  working 
about  the  town  was  heading  toward  4  Thames  Street  with 
a  panacea  for  all  of  Hart's  troubles. 

Shortly  after  entering  Hart's  employ  young  DeVinne  be- 
came foreman.  While  he  was  foreman  his  younger  brother, 
Daniel  Sieyes  DeVinne, was  entered  as  apprentice,  and  for 
nearly  half  a  century  he  worked  with  his  brother.  In  1858 
Theodore  was  offered  an  opportunity  to  buy  an  old,  or  start 
a  new,  printing  establishment  in  Ogdensburg,  New  York, 
and  he  had  almost  decided  to  accept  and  to  take  his  brother 
Daniel  with  him,  when  Mr.  Hart  interposed  with  the  offer 
of  a  junior  partnership,  the  acceptance  of  which  was  a  de- 
cisive step  in  Mr.  DeVinne's  business  career.  Forthwith 
new  stationery  and  new  signs  were  ordered  for  the  firm  of 
Francis  Hart  &  Company. 

In  1877  Francis  Hart  died.  His  will  directed  that  the  firm 
should  continue,  and  he  was  solicitous  that  DeVinne's  inter- 
ests should  be  protected.  For  example:  ^'In  case  for  any 
reason  a  dissolution  of  said  firm  or  a  sale  of  my  interest 
therein  should  become  necessary,  then  I  direct  that  special 
care  be  taken  that  Mr.  DeVinne's  interest  in  the  business 
and  property  thereof  (one-third)  shall  not  be  unnecessarily 
injured  or  endangered."  And  again  :  *^I  give  and  bequeath 
to  said  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  all  my  right,  title,  and  in- 
terest then  remaining  in  the  property  and  business  of  said 
firm."  The  terms  of  the  will  were  carried  out  in  six  years, 
whereupon  the  firm  of  Theodore  L.  DeVinne  &  Company 
was  formed,  consisting  of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  and  his 
son,  Theodore  Brockbank.      In  1 908  the  elder  DeVinne 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

retired  from  the  active  management  of  the  company.  The 
De  Vinne  Press  was  then  incorporated  with  Mr.  De  Vinne  as 
president;  R.  W.  Brown,  vice-president;  T.  B.  De  Vinne, 
treasurer;  andJ.W.  Bothwell,  secretary. 

In  1872  Mr.  De  Vinne  became  printer  of  **  St.  Nicholas/' 
and  in  1876  of  **Scribner's  Monthly."  These  were  the  most 
important  transactions  of  his  business  life.  Francis  Hart 
was  in  Europe  enjoying  the  leisure  and  health-promoting 
occupations  he  had  sighed  for  vainly  in  I  848,  when  informed 
by  letter  of  DeVinne's  efforts  to  secure  the  printing  of  '*  Scrib- 
ner's."  He  promptly  cabled  the  advice  not  to  undertake  a 
task  too  great  for  the  capacity  of  the  plant.  *'Too  late;  it  is 
done!"  was  DeVinne's  reply.  Five  years  later  the  house 
of  Scribner  ceased  its  connection  with  the  magazine,  which 
continued  as  the  **  Century  Illustrated  Monthly  Magazine," 
under  the  same  artistic  and  editorial  control,  and  still  ( I  9  I  5) 
bearing  the  DeVinne  imprint.  The  magazine  owners  had 
selected  their  printer  wisely,  though  at  that  time  Mr. 
DeVinne's  reputation  as  a  printer  was  merely  local;  but  a 
very  important  phase  of  the  transaction  was  that  it  brought 
DeVinne  into  intimate  relations  with  a  brilliant  group  of 
progressive  artists  and  scholarly  editors,  whose  influence 
confirmed  his  bent  toward  literature  and  scholarship,  and 
interested  him  in  the  higher  phases  of  the  graphic  arts.  Be- 
sides, the  printing  of  the  magazine  placed  the  plant  on  a 
manufacturing  basis.  Without  it  a  hundred  or  more  fugi- 
tive orders  would  have  to  be  found  and  disposed  of,  involv- 
ing much  detail,  which  might  have  deprived  Mr.  DeVinne 
of  the  leisure  to  pursue  his  studies  and  write  his  books. 

When  Theodore  DeVinne  entered  the  establishment 
of    Francis  Hart,  printing  in   America  was  at  its  lowest. 

L8] 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

DeVinne,  with  others,  gradually  effected  improvements. 
The  work  done  under  his  supervision  in  the  earlier  days 
would  not  have  been  approved  in  point  of  taste  by  himself  a 
few  years  later,  but  at  all  times  it  was  technically  correct 
and  workmanlike.  Until  1870  the  best  that  can  be  said  of 
DeVinne's  work  is  that  it  showed  constant  progress;  after 
that  year  he  developed  a  finer  style  and  artistic  individual- 
ity. His  first  issue  of  ^'Scribner's  Monthly"  may  now  be 
rated  as  typographically  good;  when  it  appeared  it  was 
hailed  as  great.  It  was  the  first  American  magazine  to  use 
old-style  roman,  a  novelty  which  was  admired.  When  the 
first  issue  of  the  ** Century''  appeared  in  1 88  I,  DeVinne 
was  setting  the  pace  for  the  world  in  magazine  printing.  At 
his  behest,  papermakers,  inkmakers,  and  engravers  worked 
in  unison  as  they  had  never  done  before.  Each  succeeding 
year  showed  improvement.  Remarkable  feats  were  achieved 
in  the  printing  of  wood-engravings. 

By  virtue  of  manifest  excellence,  Mr.  DeVinne  was  ac- 
knowledged to  have  no  superior  in  the  printing  world  when 
process  reproduction  began  to  dethrone  wood-engraving, 
and  he  set  to  work  again  to  accommodate  paper,  ink,  and 
presses  to  the  new  problem.  He  regretted  the  passing  of 
wood-engraving,  but  soon  astonished  the  world  by  the  re- 
sults he  produced  from  process  cuts  when  printed  on  the 
coated  paper  made  first  for  him  by  the  Warrens. 

Mr.  DeVinne,  hard  student  and  busiest  of  working  part- 
ners as  he  was,  found  time  to  associate  himself  with  other 
members  of  his  craft  in  advancing  the  general  interest.  Time 
and  money  without  stint  were  given  by  him  to  make 
the  printing  industry  respected  by  the  public  and  profit- 
able to  all  engaged  in  it.     The  first  record  we  find  of  his 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

activities  in  this  work  is  in  1 86 1 ,  when,  at  the  a^e  of  thirty- 
three,  he  acted  as  secretary  of  a  series  of  meetings  of  em- 
ploying printers  who  desired  betterment  of  conditions.  On 
February  22,  1862,  he  was  a  speaker  at  a  banquet  that 
grew  out  of  previous  conferences  at  which  representatives 
from  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  and  Cambridge  were 
present.  This  was  the  first  interstate  conference  of  master 
printers  in  America.  The  employing  printers  dined  together 
again  in  1863  and  1864-  A  report  of  the  latter  affair  states 
that  **the  secretaryship  continues  to  be  filled — ably,  too — 
by  Mr.  Theodore  L.  DeVinne."  Out  of  these  meetings  in 
the  sixties  were  evolved  first  the  New  York  TypothetcE 
and  finally  the  United  Typothetse  of  America,  of  which  Mr. 
DeVinne  was  the  first  actual  president. 

Since  the  beginning  of  printing  probably  no  one  has  con- 
tributed as  much,  and  in  as  varied  a  manner,  to  its  literature 
as  did  Mr.  DeVinne.  The  only  authoritative  text-books  of 
printing  now  in  print  in  America  are  his  four  volumes  on 
*'The  Practice  of  Typography."  His  greatest  work,  **The 
Invention  of  Printing,"  is  the  most  complete  and  authorita- 
tive history  of  the  invention  in  the  English  language.  A 
leading  authority  wrote  of  it  that  it  is  **a  most  useful  book, 
and  gives  evidence  of  the  utmost  care  and  painstaking  on 
the  part  of  the  author."  Mr.  DeVinne  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  French,  German,  and  Italian  that  he  might  read  the  im- 
portant works  on  printing  in  these  languages,  pursuing  his 
studies  during  the  formative  and  busiest  period  of  his  firm, 
and  yet  never  refusing  any  call  to  associate  with  other  printers 
for  the  general  good  of  typography.  The  Latin  he  learned 
from  his  father  enabled  him  to  grasp  these  languages  with 
greater  ease  when  he  considered  a  knowledge  of  them  vital 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

to  his  self-imposed  studies.  The  earliest  writings  of  Mr. 
DeVinne  that  we  have  found  are  in  the  **  Printers'  Miscel- 
lany/' which  he  edited  and  printed  in  1 8  5  9«  We  gather  from 
it  that  he  was  a  careful  user  of  the  Astor  Library  at  that  time. 
We  have  three  issues  in  the  Typographic  Library  and  Mu- 
seum, and  find  no  reference  to  the  publication  elsewhere. 
In  1 864  his  **  Profits  of  Book  Composition"  appeared  in  the 
*' Printer/'  and  was  reprinted  by  the  Master  Printers'  Asso- 
ciation of  New  York.  In  1869  he  compiled  and  printed  a 
price-list  of  printing  which  was  adopted  by  master  printers 
in  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  In  all,  some  ninety  titles  bear 
his  name,  ranging  from  large  and  elaborate  volumes  to  mag- 
azine articles,  and  not  including  several  second  editions. 

In  recognition  of  his  services  to  the  world  of  books,  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Yale 
and  Columbia  universities.  In  introducing  him  for  his  de- 
gree from  Columbia,  Dean  Van  Amringe  said:  ''In  the  lit- 
erature of  the  art  of  printing,  as  in  the  practice  of  it,  Mr. 
DeVinne  has  no  superior.  As  author  and  typographer  in 
the  broadest  sense,  his  name  will  be  associated,  in  the  com- 
ing time,  with  those  of  Gutenberg,  Caxton,  Aldus,  the  Elze- 
virs, Baskerville,the  Didots,  theWhittinghams,andourown 
Franklin."  President  Low  invested  him  with  the  master's 
hood,  saying:  ''As  you  are  thus  the  master  of  the  art  pre- 
servative of  all  other  arts,  and  because  you  have  shown  your- 
self a  scholar  in  everything  relating  to  it,  I  admit  you  to  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  this  University," 

As  an  employer  Mr.  DeVinne  was  at  his  best.  He  took 
a  personal  interest  in  his  workmen,  particularly  the  appren- 
tices, and  from  his  plant  not  a  few  master  printers,  as  well 
as  others  holding  executive  positions, have  graduated.    His 

on 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

practice  was  to  say  a  pleasant  word  to  every  employee  he 
met  for  the  first  time  in  the  day's  work,  either  in  the  morn- 
ing or  toward  the  evening.  Those  who  grew  up  in  his  em- 
ploy were  thoroughly  trained,  and  their  services  were  in 
great  demand.  Among  other  employers  no  recommenda- 
tion was  required  other  than  that  the  applicant  came  from 
The  DeVinne  Press.  He  actively  interested  himself  in  the 
lives  of  his  men  outside  the  plant,  aiding  them  in  sickness, 
especially  the  lads.  Deep  attachments  were  the  result,  and 
men  who  have  passed  most  of  their  lives  in  The  DeVinne 
Press  testify  that  all  his  workmen  loved  Theodore  DeVinne. 
We  have  here  endeavored  to  portray  such  phases  of  the 
serene  yet  strenuous  life  of  our  great  printer  as  will  illus- 
trate to  those  who  did  not  know  him  personally  how  much 
we  honor  ourselves  by  understanding  his  character  and  ap- 
preciating his  achievements.  There  are  hundreds  of  young 
men  in  the  printing  craft  to-day  who  have  the  ability,  if  they 
have  the  spirit,  industry,  principles,  and  enthusiasm,  to  fol- 
low in  the  footsteps  of  this  master  among  printers,  and  who, 
by  making  him  their  model,  may  transform  sordid  business 
into  ideal  pleasure,  and  make  their  lives  successful  in  the 
spiritual  and  mental  and  commercial  phases,  as  did,  in  the 
superlative  degree,  Theodore  Low  DeVinne. 


C'2] 


MEMORIAL  MEETING 

N  the  evening  of  March  10,  1 914,  the 
printers  of  New  York  City,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Typothetae  of  the  City 
of  New  York,  held  a  meeting  at  the  Al- 
dine  Club  in  memory  of  Mr.  De  Vinne. 
Mr.  James  W.  Bothwell,  President 
of  the  New  York  Typothetce,  and  an 
officer  of  The  De  Vinne  Press,  pre- 
sided, opening  the  meeting  with  the  following  words: 

**  We  have  met  to-night  to  honor  the  memory  of  a  man 
whom  we  all  knew  and  loved.  My  very  modest  testimonial 
to  Mr.  De  Vinne,  after  a  service  to  him  of  considerably  over 
thirty  years,  is  that  while  he  was  a  great  printer,  he  was 
yet  a  greater  man." 


Mr.  Bothwell  then  introduced,  as  the  first  speaker  of  the 
evening,  Mr.  John  Clyde  Oswald,  editor  of  the  **  American 
Printer." 

i:>3:i 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

MR.  OSWALD'S  ADDRESS 
cMr.  Chairman^  Gentlemen: 

The  Chairman  has  said  that  we  are  assembled  to  do 
honor  to  the  memory  of  a  man.  As  Mark  Antony  said  of 
Brutus,  *'His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements  so  mix'd  in 
him  that  Nature  mi^ht  stand  up  and  say  to  all  the  world, 
This  was  a  man  !" 

With  the  main  facts  of  his  life  most  of  you  are,  I  suppose, 
familiar,  and  yet  it  will  not  be  inappropriate  to  review  them 
briefly  at  this  time. 

In  the  year  1828  there  lived  in  Stamford,  Connecticut,  a 
young  Methodist  minister  named  Daniel  De  Vinne,  and  on 
December  25  of  that  year  his  wife  presented  to  him,  as  a 
Christmas  present,  a  baby  boy  who  was  to  be  called  Theo- 
dore Low  De  Vinne  (Low  being  her  family  name). 

A  few  years  later  this  young  minister  and  his  son  Theo- 
dore came  to  New  York  on  a  visit,  and  it  was  an  event — 
more  of  an  event  at  that  time  than  it  would  be  now,  because 
that  was  the  day  before  there  was  a  railroad  from  New 
York  to  Stamford,  or,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  from  New  York  to 
any  place,  so  they  had  to  use  other  and  more  primitive 
means  of  travel.  One  of  the  calls  the  young  father  and  his 
son  of  seven  made  was  upon  a  firm  of  publishers — not  be- 
cause they  were  publishers,  but  because  they  were  good 
Methodists — the  firm  of  Harper  &  Brothers,  of  Franklin 
Square.  It  was  the  first  sight  that  young  Theodore  had  of 
a  printing  establishment, and  the  visit  was  made  memorable 
by  the  presentation  to  him  of  a  book  by  a  member  of  the 
firm — a  book  which  is  to  be  found  to  this  day  in  his  library. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

We  hear  of  him  next  that  he  has  gone  across  country, 
from  Stamford  to  Newburgh,  New  York,  where,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Newburgh  ** Ga- 
zette" to  learn  the  printing  trade. 

Six  years  later  the  lure  of  the  city  had  become  so  strong 
as  to  attract  him  here,  and  one  year  after  that,  when  he  was 
twenty-one,  he  made  the  business  connection  which  was 
his  final  effort  of  that  kind,  because  it  was  to  continue  for 
sixty-five  years.  This  was  with  the  house  of  Francis  Hart, 
and  he  continued  there  until,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine,  he 
succeeded  to  the  business.  Six  years  later,  in  1883,  Mr. 
Hart  having  died,  the  name  was  changed  to  Theodore  L* 
DeVinne  &  Company,  which  title  it  bore  until  1908,  being 
incorporated  in  that  year  as  The  DeVinne  Press. 

Such  is  the  brief  business  history  of  Mr.  DeVinne.  It 
has  been  stated  that  **  happy  is  the  nation  which  has  no  his- 
tory," and  happy  indeed  must  be  that  firm  where  there  have 
been  so  few  changes  to  serve  as  subjects  for  remark. 

The  New  York  Typothetee  was  established  in  1865,  and 
Mr.  DeVinne  was  its  first  secretary.  He  served  it  later 
and  for  a  long  time  as  president,  and  in  1887,  at  the  first 
meeting  of  the  United  Typothetce  of  America  in  Chicago, 
he  was  elected  president  of  that  organization. 

He  began  his  great  series  of  contributions  to  the  litera- 
ture of  printing  in  1859,  the  first  notable  volume,  entitled 
''Printers'  Price  List,"  appearing  ten  years  later.  His 
greatest  work,  *'The  Invention  of  Printing,"  appeared  in 
1876,  when  he  was  forty-eight  years  of  age. 

There  is  an  old  Greek  proverb  to  the  effect  that  in  the 
morning  of  life  we  must  work,  at  the  noontide  give  counsel, 
and  in  the  evening  pray.    Mr,  De  Vinne's  life  was  all  morn- 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

in^,  in  the  sense  that  it  was  a  continuous  period  of  work. 
The  series  of  books  published  under  the  title  of  ''The 
Practice  of  Typography,"  consisting  of  four  volumes,  was 
begun  in  1900.  It  was  when  he  was  seventy-two  years  of 
age  that  the  first  volume,  **  Plain  Printing  Types,"  was  pub- 
lished; the  second  volume,  ''Correct  Composition,"  ap- 
peared in  I  90 1  ;  "Title-Pages,"  still  a  year  later,  in  1902; 
and  "  Modern  Book  Composition,"  the  last  one  of  the  four, 
in  I  904,  when  he  was  seventy-six  years  of  age.  But  the 
most  remarkable  of  all  his  achievements  of  the  kind  was 
that  beautiful  volume  entitled  "  Notable  Printers  of  Italy 
during  the  Fifteenth  Century,"  which  was  published  by  The 
Grolier  Club  in  I  9  10,  when  Mr.  De  Vinne  was  eighty-two 
years  of  age. 

I  am  told  that  one  of  the  regrets  of  the  succeeding  four 
years  of  his  life,  to  which  he  constantly  referred,  was  occa- 
sioned by  the  fact  that  there  was  so  much  along  that  line 
which  he  yet  wanted  to  do,  but  which  somehow,  he  said,  he 
did  not  seem  to  be  able  to  drive  himself  into  doing. 

The  qualities  which  go  to  make  ideal  citizenship  maybe 
grouped  under  five  heads:  First,  Righteousness, of  course, 
then  Culture,  then  Industry,  then  Justice,  and  finally  that 
quality  which,  for  want  of  a  better  term,  we  call  Vision,  the 
ability  to  see  further  than  the  common  run. 

Righteousness  does  not  necessarily  imply  religion.  The 
profession  of  religion  does  not  always  mean  the  possession 
of  religion.  Mr.  De  Vinne  was  a  religious  man  in  the  sense  that 
he  was  a  member  and  supporter  of  the  church,  but  he  did  not 
do  very  much  along  the  line  of  profession.  "Serving  God," 
said  Benjamin  Franklin,  "is  doing  good  to  men,  but  praying 
is  thought  an  easier  service  and  therefore  more  generally 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

chosen."  Mr.  DeVinne  as  a  Christian,  I  think,  is  best  set 
forth  in  the  poem  by  Leigh  Hunt  entitled  **Abou  Ben  Ad- 
hem," — one  who  loved  his  fellow-men.  This  was  his  pro- 
fession of  righteousness.  It  implied  and  included  honesty, 
adherence  to  truth,  fair  dealing  with  all  men. 

Second,  Culture:  A  man  may  be  righteous  and  not 
necessarily  cultured.  Elijah,  John  the  Baptist,  Martin 
Luther,  these  were  righteous  men,  strong,  rugged,  terrible 
in  denunciation,  but  they  could  not,  by  any  stretch  of  the  im- 
agination, be  termed  cultivated  men.  Cultivation  is  refine- 
ment. Take  the  erudition  which  comes  from  the  reading  of 
books,  the  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs  that  we  get  from 
study  and  travel,  the  wisdom  that  proceeds  from  meditation ; 
put  these  into  the  melting-pot  of  cultivation,  and  there 
emerge  personality  and  character.  Cultivation  means  ap- 
preciation of  beauty  and  of  nature;  it  means  simplicity  and 
modesty,  and  those  of  you  who  knew  Mr.  DeVinne  know 
that  these  were  his  characteristics.  Over-ornamentation 
and  over-elaboration  were  never  to  be  found  in  his  product. 
Vanity,  conceit,  and  self-consciousness  never  entered  into 
his  make-up. 

Third,  Industry:  You  may  have  righteousness  and  cul- 
ture, which  might  be  classed  as  passive  virtues,  but  they 
will  count  for  nothing  in  the  world  unless  they  are  supple- 
mented by  the  active  virtue  of  industry.  Industry  implies 
energy,  initiative,  vigor,  and  courage.  An  acquaintance  of 
mine  recently  told  me  the  story  of  an  experience  he  had 
with  an  old  colored  minister  in  Philadelphia,  who  has  had 
a  remarkable  influence  for  the  uplift  of  his  race.  He  asked 
him  for  a  definition  of  success,  and  the  reverend  gentleman 
said,  ** Success  consists  in  having  a  heart  full  of  Christian- 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

ity,  a  head  as  far  as  possible  full  of  knowledge,  and  just 
*keepin'  on  the  job.' "  With  the  other  virtues  we  must  have 
ener^  and  initiative,  which,  combined  with  vigor  and  cour- 
age, enable  us  to  render  service,  and  this,  after  all,  is  the 
great  thing  in  life.  Then  we  can  say  with  Robert  Louis  Ste- 
venson, **I  know  what  pleasure  is,  for  I  have  done  good 
work."  Thoroughness  was  characteristic  of  Mr.  De  Vinne. 
He  was  willing  to  go  to  any  length  to  make  his  printing  of 
the  very  highest  quality.  Mr.  Drake,  in  that  beautiful  trib- 
ute which  he  paid  in  the  newspapers  to  Mr.  De  Vinne  a  day 
or  two  after  his  death,  gave  an  instance  of  this  characteris- 
tic. He  said  it  was  Mr.  DeVinne's  practice  to  stop  a  press 
and  strip  the  make-ready,  holding  it  just  as  long  as  was  nec- 
essary to  obtain  the  very  highest  degree  of  quality.  His 
thoroughness  is  further  set  forth  in  the  volume  **The  In- 
vention of  Printing."  I  have  a  bookcase  full  of  books  giv- 
ing contending  theories  of  those  who  say,  on  one  side  that 
Coster  was  the  inventor  of  printing,  and  on  the  other  that 
Gutenberg  was  the  inventor.  After  Mr.  De  Vinne  had  writ- 
ten his  book  the  last  word  seemed  to  me  to  have  been  said 
and  the  dispute  settled  forever. 

Fourth,  Justice :  The  motto  of  Ferdinand  the  Great  was, 
**  Let  justice  be  done,  though  the  heavens  fall."  There  are 
two  sides  to  nearly  every  question,  but  it  takes  the  just  man, 
the  broad-minded  man,  always  to  be  willing  to  recognize  that 
fact.  Justice  implies  charity  toward  the  faults  of  others. 
That  was  one  of  Mr.  DeVinne's  characteristics.  He  could 
always  see  some  good  in  a  man — a  faculty  to  which  most 
of  us  cannot  lay  claim.  We  are  accustomed  so  often  to  refer 
to  Benjamin  Franklin  and  his  many  activities,  the  things 
he  did  to  improve  conditions  and  methods  and  appliances. 

[18] 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

I  wonder  if  you  are  all  familiar  with  the  fact  that  one  of  his 
proposed  improvements  consisted  in  adding  a  chapter  to 
the  Bible?  It  was  to  the  Book  of  Genesis,  and  it  states  how 
one  evening  Abraham  sat  at  the  door  of  his  tent,  and  there 
approached  an  old  man,  whom  he  invited  to  come  in  and 
make  himself  comfortable,  to  wash  his  feet  and  sit  with  him 
at  meat.  And  as  they  sat  down,  Abraham  blessed  his  meat 
by  appealing  to  Jehovah,  and  he  asked  the  stranger  to  do  the 
same  thing.  The  stranger  refused  and  said,  **  I  do  not  wor- 
ship thy  God,  neither  do  I  call  upon  his  name;  for  I  have 
made  to  myself  a  god  which  abideth  always  in  mine  house 
and  provideth  me  with  all  things."  Abraham  fell  upon  the 
stranger  and  beat  him  and  drove  him  from  his  tent.  Later 
Jehovah  appeared  and  asked,  ''Abraham,  where  is  the 
stranger?"  Abraham  replied,  '*  Lord,  he  would  not  wor- 
ship thee,  and  therefore  I  drove  him  from  my  tent."  And 
Jehovah  said  unto  him,  ''Abraham,  I  have  borne  with  him 
for  more  than  three  hundred  and  ninety  years.  Couldst  not 
thou  have  borne  with  him  for  one  night?  "  It  was  a  sermon 
on  tolerance,  a  virtue  which  is  so  great,  yet  which  I  am 
afraid  it  must  be  acknowledged  is  so  rare.  It  was  one  of  the 
possessions  of  Mr.  DeVinne,  and  he  demonstrated  it  espe- 
cially in  his  relations  with  his  employees.  He  was  always 
able  to  see  their  point  of  view  as  well  as  his  own. 

And,  finally,  this  quality  which  I  have  termed  Vision.  It 
is  so  rare,  and  where  possessed  almost  invariably  indicates 
the  great  man.  I  suppose  there  is  no  force  as  great  as  inertia 
(though  it  is  paradoxical  to  say  so,  because  inertia  is  the 
absence  of  force).  There  is  no  condition  with  which  the 
man  who  has  a  new  idea,  who  is  an  experimenter,  who  wants 
something  applied  in  a  new  and  original  way,  has  to  con- 

C'93 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

tend  as  much  as  inertia,  for  most  men  refuse  to  look  beyond 
the  present  instant,  and  are  therefore  unwilling  to  accept 
the  view  of  the  newcomer.  When  we  see  a  man  who  is  willing 
to  look  a  little  bit  beyond  the  vision  of  the  average  person, 
we  find  a  great  statesman  or  artist  or  workman.  Caesar  had 
this  quality.  Other  statesmen  could  see  the  evils  of  his 
time,  but  he  was  the  only  one  who  could  see  the  evils  and  at 
the  same  time  the  remedy  for  them.  Raphael,  that  great 
young  painter  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  could 
combine  his  knowledge  of  paints  and  ability  to  put  them 
upon  canvas  or  board  with  the  religious  fervor  of  his  time 
and  generation,  and  the  result  was  the  Sistine  Madonna. 
Christopher  Wren  could  look  upon  a  pile  of  mortar  and 
stone  and  iron,  and  could  see  what  other  men  who  looked 
could  not  see — great  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  that  was  to  be 
made  of  them.  In  some  lesser  degree,  but  no  less  certainly, 
this  quality  was  possessed  by  the  master  craftsmen  of  the 
printing  industry,  Jenson,  Caxton,  Plantin,  and  DeVinne. 

Only  one  Man  ever  possessed  in  great  degree  those  five 
qualities,  that  young  Man  who  walked  and  talked  in  Galilee 
two  thousand  years  ago.  The  possession  of  any  one  of  them 
in  a  superlative  degree,  or  the  possession  of  all  of  them  in  a 
moderate  degree,  has  always  been  sufficient  to  make  a  great 
man.  I  am  sure  I  am  entirely  within  the  range  of  truth  when  I 
say  they  were  all  in  some  degree  possessed  by  Mr.  DeVinne, 
and  that  is  why  he  attained  success. 

What  is  success?  Is  it  money?  If  so,  Mr.  DeVinne  could 
qualify. 

Is  success  fame?  You  have  but  to  remember  that  when 
any  public  function  occurred  where  a  representative  of 
printing  was  to  be  invited,  it  was  always  Mr.  De  Vinne.    He 

[20] 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

received  degrees  from  two  great  universities.  He  had  the  un- 
usual distinction — one  that  I  do  not  know  has  ever  come  to 
any  other  man — of  having  presented  to  him,  by  friends  and 
contemporaries  in  his  own  trade,  a  bust  of  himself  by  a 
sculptor  of  ability  and  standing. 

Is  success  power?  Those  of  you  who  have  been  familiar 
with  the  workings  of  the  United  Typothetae  in  the  last  quar- 
ter of  a  century  will  remember  that  when  Mr.  De  Vinne  ap- 
peared at  any  gathering  his  influence  was  paramount.  In 
the  later  years,  when  his  enfeebled  health  made  it  inadvis- 
able for  him  to  take  the  journeys  to  attend  conventions,  a 
message  from  him  was  always  received  with  enthusiasm 
and  acclaim. 

But  it  seems  to  me  there  is  a  better  definition  of  success. 
That  man  has  attained  success  of  whom  it  can  be  said,  after 
he  has  gone,  that  the  world  is  better  for  his  having  lived  in  it. 
This,  I  am  sure,  can  be  said  of  Mr.  De  Vinne. 

His  life  as  a  boy,  coming  to  the  great  city  practically  with- 
out friends  and  without  influence,  will  always  be  an  inspira- 
tion and  example,  a  source  of  encouragement  to  other  young 
men  who  may  be  similarly  placed.  The  services  he  rendered 
to  his  trade  and  to  his  friends  during  the  days  of  his  matur- 
ity form  an  example  to  those  who  have  passed  the  period  of 
youth.  And  his  delightful  old  age,  when  he  was  able  to 
concern  himself  only  with  the  things  he  liked  to  do,  is  a 
source  of  hope  to  those  who  have  such  days  near  at  hand. 
And  the  best  prospect  that  I  can  offer,  it  seems  to  me,  for 
myself  and  for  you  is,  that  when  the  lengthening  shadows 
indicate  to  each  of  us  that  the  sun  is  setting,  that  the  day  is 
almost  done,  that  life  has  nearly  run  its  course,  we  can  feel, 
as  he  did,  that  we  have  lived  up  to  the  full  measure  of  the 

[21] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

admonition  of  that  youn^  American  poet  who  wrote  a  hun- 
dred years  a^o : 

"So  live,  that  when  thy  summons  comes  to  join 
The  innumerable  caravan  which  moves 
To  the  pale  realms  of  shade,  where  each  shall  take 
His  chamber  in  the  silent  halls  of  death. 
Thou  ^o  not,  like  the  quarry-slave  at  ni^ht. 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 


Mr.  Robert  Underwood  Johnson,  former  editor  of  the 
''Century  Magazine,"  was  the  next  speaker. 

MR.  JOHNSON'S  ADDRESS 

cMr,  Chairman^  Gentlemen  of  the  Typothetce^  and  Knights 
of  the  'Press-room  and  Case: 

I  have  been  asked  to  speak  for  a  little  while  of  Mr. 
DeVinne's  work  and  character,  the  two  aspects  of  life 
which  may  sum  up  the  claims  of  any  man  for  attention.  To 
do  so  adequately  would  require  a  great  deal  of  time, though 
not  more  than  I  should  willingly  devote,  if  it  were  possible, 
to  one  whose  work  was  so  important  and  whose  character 
so  admirable,  and  who,  moreover,  has  the  further  claim 
upon  many  of  us  that  he  was  so  stanchly  our  friend.  I  can 
do  little  more  than  give  some  random  impressions  of  him 
both  as  master  printer  and  as  man. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

In  a  rapid  survey  of  Mr.  De  Vinne's  literary  work,  I  have 
been  struck  by  its  bulk,  its  sound  sense,  and  its  directness 
and  clarity  of  expression.  Outside  the  profession  of  writing 
there  are  not  many  men  who  have  to  their  credit  some  ninety 
items — books,  pamphlets,  and  articles — relative  to  their 
work,  all  of  unimpeachable  scholarship  and  many  of  them 
of  large  significance.  In  fact,  Mr.  De  Vinne  wrote  more  on 
the  subject  of  printing  than  any  other  man  who  ever  lived. 
I  think  it  is  not  saying  too  much  to  place  him,  not  merely 
as  the  first  master  printer  of  his  time,  but  as  the  first  au- 
thority on  his  craft.  He  was  fairly  steeped  in  its  history, 
and  what  he  has  written  touches  upon  every  phase  of  it, 
technical,  commercial,  and  artistic.  Moreover,  his  industry 
and  determination  are  shown  by  the  fact  that,  with  only  a 
common-school  education,  this  busy  man,  who  had  mastered 
the  details  of  case  and  press,  taught  himself  French,  Ger- 
man, Italian,  and  Latin,  that,  as  I  believe,  he  might  the 
more  securely  master  the  literature  of  the  printing  art.  He 
had  the  most  definite  ideas,  standards,  and  preferences,  and 
did  not  hesitate  to  urge  them.  It  is  recalled,  for  instance, 
that  in  the  question  of  typography  he  was  a  partisan  of  what 
he  called  masculine  types,  the  strong,  firm,  black  types  and 
decorations  of  the  Gothic  influence,  so  to  speak,  rather  than 
the  more  delicate  Roman  monumental  types  which  are  now 
much  used  on  book  covers  and  magazines.  When  one  of 
the  latter  was  presented  to  him  for  his  consideration,  he 
would  say,  **That  belongs  to  the  Laura  Matilda  School," 
or  ** There's  another  one  of  those  fifteenth-century  tomb- 
stones'';  but,  however  tenacious  his  convictions,  he  never 
carried  them  to  the  point  of  obstreperousness, where  others 
were  concerned,  though  in  the  later  years  of  his  life  he  had 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

a  boiling  desire  to  write  in  opposition  to  certain  tendencies 
in  the  trade. 

The  relations  of  the  firm  now  bearing  the  style  of  The 
Century  Co.  to  Mr.  DeVinne — relations  of  which  I  can- 
not speak  adequately  or  authoritatively,  since  they  were  so 
largely  with  the  business  department — began  in  1872  with 
the  contract  for  the  printing  of  **  St.  Nicholas"  by  the  house 
of  Francis  Hart  &  Company,  of  which  we  soon  found  that 
Mr.  DeVinne  was  the  active  administrator.  "  Scribner's 
Monthly"  (afterward  the  **  Century")  was  transferred  to  the 
same  firm  in  1876,  after  at  least  three  trials  at  cut-printing 
elsewhere,  which  had  not  come  up  to  the  exacting  standard 
of  Mr.  A.  W.  Drake,  our  art  editor,  of  whom  we  were  all 
proud,  not  only  because  of  his  knowledge  and  his  achieve- 
ments, but  because  he  never  made  any  compromise  with  his 
artistic  conscience.  Mr.  Hart  often  had  occasion  to  say  to 
Mr.  Drake,  ''Can't  you  make  things  a  little  easier  for  us 
here?"  But  while  we  were  all  ready  to  make  allowances  in 
matters  of  time  and  minor  conditions,  it  was  understood 
that  the  artistic  excellence  of  the  magazine  must  be  kept 
paramount.  In  a  discussion  with  Mr.  DeVinne  of  ways  and 
means,  and  particularly  of  the  difficulties  in  the  printing  of 
woodcuts  (of  course  there  were  no  half-tones  in  those  days), 
Mr.  Roswell  Smith,  the  first  president  of  The  Century  Co. 
and  a  man  of  remarkable  imagination  and  enterprise,  said, 
*'  Do  you  know,  Mr.  DeVinne,  what  I  am  proposing  to  do? 
I  am  proposing  to  make  you  the  foremost  printer  of  your 
time"  ;  and  to  this  distinction,  by  the  highest  personal  and 
professional  qualities,  Mr.  DeVinne  rose. 

It  would  be  futile  to  pretend  that  everything  was  clear 
sailing.     Mr.  DeVinne  himself  had  misgivings  about  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

ability  of  his  house  to  meet  the  complex  and  subtle  require- 
ments of  what  was  then  pioneer  work.  I  do  not  mean  that 
there  had  been  no  printing  of  woodcuts  before,  but  that  the 
demands  of  the  artists  upon  the  printer  for  the  technical  exe- 
cution of  varied  and  novel  processes  were  rapidly  growing. 
Mr.  De  Vinne  knew  what  a  complicated  process  was  the 
reproduction  in  lar^e  quantities  of  the  woodcuts  of  that  day. 
I  can  remember  times  when  something  was  amiss,  and  the 
trial  sheets,  which  were  carefully  scrutinized  by  the  literary 
editors,  as  well  as  more  efficiently  by  Mr.  Drake,  would  be 
disappointing,  and  there  would  be  a  general  consultation; 
whereupon  Mr.  De  Vinne  would  usually  produce  an  alter- 
native set  of  sheets  and  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  two 
sets  were  produced  by  the  same  presses,  the  same  carefully 
considered  ink,  the  same  overlays,  the  same  preparation, — 
in  short,  under  the  same  general  conditions,  with  the  only  dif- 
ference, apparently,  that  one  five  minutes  of  the  run  was  not 
uniform  with  that  of  the  next  five  minutes,  the  execution 
running  too  pale  if  the  paper  was  rough,  where  it  would  have 
been  of  appropriate  blackness  had  the  paper  been  smooth. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  at  that  time  the  production  of 
paper  for  the  printing  of  woodcuts  was  also  a  pioneer  busi- 
ness. Messrs.  S.  D.  Warren  &  Company — then,  as  now, 
purveyors  of  paper  for  these  two  magazines — are  entitled  to 
the  credit  of  having  invented  the  first  coated  paper  for  mag- 
azines made  in  this  country.  The  coated  paper  of  to-day, 
made  from  wood  pulp  at  five  cents  a  pound  and  upward, 
is  none  too  good  for  the  tremendous  requirements  made 
upon  it:  one  can  imagine  the  difficulty  in  those  days,  when 
the  conditions  were  less  well  known  and  when  a  three  times 
greater  price  had  to  be  paid  for  the  stock.    In  these  sessions 

1:253 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

of  solicitude,  as  I  may  call  them,  Mr.  De  Vinne  would  some- 
times quote  with  approval  the  saying  of  Ruskin,  ''There  is 
no  repentance  in  the  engraver's  trade"  ;  and  out  of  such  talks 
would  come  a  more  thorough  understanding,  on  our  part,  of 
the  tremendous  and  unusual  tasks  which  we  were  putting 
upon  the  printers,  and,  on  Mr.  De  Vinne's  side,  a  new  en- 
thusiasm to  meet  every  demand.  David  Nichols,  the  en- 
graver, once  reported  that  Mr.  De  Vinne  said  to  him  (I 
believe  more  in  compliment  than  in  criticism)  that  Mr.  Drake 
was  a  very  exacting  man.  **  Yes,"  said  Nichols,  *'but  is  n't 
your  work  all  the  better  that  he  keeps  at  it  all  the  time?" 
**Yes,"  said  De  Vinne,  **  I  am  sure  that  it  is."  Mr.  Drake 
would  be  the  first  one  to  say  that  he  had  learned  as  much 
from  De  Vinne  as  De  Vinne  learned  from  him. 

To  our  master  printer  time  and  trouble  were  of  minor  con- 
sideration. Indeed, healways  struck  measapersonwhoaimed 
at  that  first  principle  of  business  relations,  namely,  to  give  to 
one's  employer  the  most  loyal  and  ungrudging  service,  to  do 
not  only  what  may  properly  be  expected,  but  more,  so  that 
one's  work  may  become  (as  indeed  it  must  become  if  one  is 
to  attain  any  happiness  in  it)  a  sort  of  religion;  and  this,  in- 
dependent of  the  question  of  financial  reward.  Mr.  De  Vinne 
had  not  merely  this  point  of  view  himself,  but  he  succeeded 
in  inspiring  it  in  his  men.  He  might  be  called  the  Goethals 
of  the  printing  trade,  for  he  succeeded  by  his  personality, 
firmness,  sincerity,  and  geniality  in  making  his  men  feel  that 
they  were  not  merely  working  for  a  machine,  but  for  a  man, 
and  in  accomplishing  large  results.  With  his  men  he  was 
democratic,  sympathetic,  and  most  appreciative,  and  I  think 
respect  for  him  was  a  commanding  motive  in  the  work  of 
his  printing-house. 

[26] 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

The  thing  that  tries  the  heart  of  a  man  and  an  employer 
of  this  type  is  the  question  of  strikes.  On  the  one  hand,  his 
sympathies  are  deeply  enlisted  with  the  men,  while  on  the 
other,  as  the  one  most  conversant  with  the  business,  he  has 
to  consider  his  obligations  to  the  public  and  to  others.  In 
the  extensive  strikes  for  the  shorter  work-day  which  he  had 
to  meet,  Mr.  DeVinne  recognized  that  the  change  was 
bound  to  come;  and  although  he  stood  sturdily  against  the 
methods  of  compulsion  employed  (and  what  a  Pandora-box 
of  evils  often  comes  from  doing  the  right  thing  in  the  wrong 
way!),  nevertheless  in  both  cases,  when  he  had  won,  he 
voluntarily  and  magnanimously  granted  to  his  men  the 
shorter  day  desired.  I  think  it  may  truly  be  said  of  him  that 
he  never  regretted  a  readjustment  of  the  wages  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  workmen  one-half  as  much  as  any  temporary 
deterioration  in  the  excellence  of  his  professional  output.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  one  thing  that  is  needed  as  a  solvent 
of  the  labor  difficulties  of  our  times  is  that  there  should  be 
enforced,  on  one  side,  the  responsibility  of  employers  to- 
ward their  workmen  as  men  and  women,  and,  on  the  other 
side,  the  gospel  of  good  work.  We  hear  in  both  directions 
ten  words  about  rights  to  one  word  about  duties,  and  I  think 
we  need  on  both  sides  something  of  the  conscientiousness 
and  sense  of  responsibility  that  Frank  R.  Stockton  ascribed 
to  a  proof-reader  in  one  of  his  stories,  who  was  so  conscien- 
tious that  his  ghost  rose  from  his  grave  to  mark  a  turned 
**s"  in  his  epitaph  ! 

Mr.  Oswald  has  spoken  of  the  old  saying,  **  Let  justice 
be  done,  though  the  heavens  fall !  "  I  remember  that  when 
I  was  a  boy  in  Indiana  an  English  lecturer  named  Henry 
Vincent  came  to  the  town  where  I  was  living,  and  after  the 

[27: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

lecture  I  asked  him  to  write  down  something  in  a  small  au- 
tograph album  I  had  —  some  sentiment,  with  his  name.  I 
remember  he  wrote,  **  Let  justice  be  done,  though  the  heav- 
ens fall!"  Shortly  after  that  Wendell  Phillips  came  to  lec- 
ture in  the  same  course,  and  I  asked  him  if  he  would  write 
for  me.  Opening  the  book  at  random,  he  came  upon  that 
sentence,  and,  quick  as  a  flash,  he  wrote  on  the  opposite 
page,  '•  If  justice  is  done,  the  heavens  will  not  fall !  " 

Mr.  DeVinne  wrote  a  short  article  in  the  ** Century"  on 
co-operation  among  workmen  in  carrying  on  a  business,  in 
which  method  his  observation  had  given  him  little  confi- 
dence. In  that  article  he  made  so  great  a  contribution 
toward  the  solution  of  the  relations  between  employers  and 
men  that  it  is  much  to  be  desired  that  it  should  be  repro- 
duced as  a  pamphlet  and  circulated  among  both  parties. 

Mr.  De  Vinne's  human  view  of  things  was  shown  by  his 
attitude  toward  women  who  collected  for  charitable  associ- 
ations of  more  or  less  obscure  and  sometimes  doubtful  type. 
When  asked  whether  he  would  see  this  or  that  person,  he 
would  hesitate  a  moment,  and  then,  touching  his  forehead 
with  a  characteristic  gesture,  would  say,  '*Yes,  show  her  in. 
Some  of  these  are  frauds  and  some  are  not,  but  rather  than 
turn  away  one  that  is  worthy,  I  '11  take  the  risk  of  being  im- 
posed upon  by  two."  In  his  relations  with  all  sorts  of  peo- 
ple he  realized  ^assanio^s  words  about  JJntonio,  for  he  was 

**The  kindest  man. 
The  best-condition'd  and  unwearied  spirit 
In  doing  courtesies." 

Of  my  personal  affection  for  Mr.  DeVinne  it  is  not  un- 
becoming to  speak,  for  I  feel  that  I  represent  so  many  who 

1:28: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

are  here  and  to  whom  such  an  affection  is  always  sacred. 
Of  the  enthusiastic  and  high-minded  circle  who  built  up 
**St.  Nicholas"  and  the  **Century"  and  their  allied  busi- 
ness, Mr.  DeVinne  was  always  recognized  as  an  important 
member;  indeed,  as  a  comrade.  In  the  later  years  of  his  life 
there  was  always  a  tenderness  of  regard  in  the  way  we  spoke 
of  ^*01d  DeVinne/'  and  there  was  not  one  of  us  all  who  did 
not  feel  the  tonic  of  his  intercourse.  **Good  work,  good 
work/'  was  the  subconscious  tone  of  every  interview  we  had 
with  him. 

This  comradeship  with  several  members  of  The  Century 
Co.  extended  to  trips  abroad  and  at  home.  Mr.  William 
Fayal  Clarke,  the  able  and  devoted  editor  of  '*  St.  Nicholas," 
who  has  been  on  its  staff  almost  from  its  foundation,  has 
given  me  a  brief  statement  covering  one  experience  of  the 
sort  that  I  will  introduce  here  in  his  own  admirable  words. 
He  says: 

*'  I  can  merely  add  my  testimony  to  that  of  many  others 
who  have  spontaneously  paid  tribute  to  Mr.  De  Vinne's  high 
ideals  and  unswerving  character,  his  ready  sympathy  and 
co-operation,  and  his  willingness  to  take  no  count  of  time 
or  trouble  to  produce  the  very  best  results  obtainable  in  his 
art. 

**On  the  personal  side,  my  pleasantest  recollections  of 
Mr.  DeVinne  are  connected  with  a  four  months'  sojourn  in 
Europe,  in  1888.  It  was  my  first  trip  across,  and  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  make  it  in  company  with  Mr.  DeVinne 
and  Mr.  Chichester.  We  were  daily  companions  in  a  tour 
through  England,  France,  Italy,  South  Germany,  and  back 
to  London.  And  through  this  intimate  association,  my  ad- 
miration for  Mr.  De  Vinne's  sturdy  strength  of  character, 

1:293 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

comradeship,  and  imperturbable  ^ood  humor  strengthened 
day  by  day  into  a  lasting  friendship  and  affection.  In  all  the 
vicissitudes  and  contingencies  of  the  tour,  his  even  temper 
was  never  ruffled ;  and,  though  traveling  with  men  who  were 
by  many  years  his  juniors,  he  entered  whole-heartedly  and 
with  equal  zest  into  all  the  pleasures  of  the  journey. 

*'  One  of  the  happiest  memories  of  him  at  that  time  was  our 
visit  to  the  famous  Plantin  Museum  at  Antwerp.  Of  course, 
this  celebrated  relic  of  the  sixteenth  century  is  an  art  trea- 
sure which  no  cultivated  tourist  can  afford  to  miss;  but  it 
held  for  Mr.  De  Vinne  an  interest,  a  charm, —  I  might  say 
almost  a  sacredness, — that  only  a  great  printer  could  feel. 
I  shall  never  forget  his  almost  boyish  enthusiasm  as  he 
piloted  us  from  room  to  room  of  this  picturesque  and 
time-honored  building,  preserved  in  its  original  state  for 
three  centuries,  the  oldest  existing  printing  and  publishing 
establishment  in  the  world;  nor  the  pride  which  Mr.  De 
Vinne  expressed — the  true  pride  of  a  fellow-craftsman — in 
the  work  and  home  of  one  of  the  earliest  masters  of  his  art. 
His  delight  in  every  detail  of  this  wonderful  establishment 
was  beautiful  to  see.  It  was  with  a  reverent  touch  that  we 
handled  the  very  press  which  Christopher  Plantin  himself 
had  used,  and  no  single  experience  of  our  whole  tour  was 
more  interesting  than  the  journey  through  the  suites  and 
corridors  of  the  unique  building,  from  the  primitive  type- 
foundry,  through  the  quarters  of  the  compositors,  the  press- 
room, and  even  the  fine  alcove  set  apart  for  the  proof-readers 
(who  were  notabilities  and  dignitaries  in  that  day),  to  the 
little  counting-room  itself  where  hung  the  calendar  for  the 
year  1593  above  the  very  counter  over  which  Plantin  served 
his  customers  three  centuries  ago. 

[130: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

*^  But,  as  Mr.  De  Vinne  told  us  at  the  outset,  it  is  not  only 
as  a  printing  establishment  that  the  Museum  is  unique,  but 
also  because  it  was  the  home  of  its  founder,  and  a  magnifi- 
cent home,  too!  And  here  again  Mr.  De  Vinne  could  not 
disguise  his  pride  in  the  fact  that  a  master  printer  of  the  six- 
teenth century  was  also  a  well-to-do  burgher,  whose  resi- 
dence, alike  in  its  beautiful  and  picturesque  architecture,  its 
quaint  and  sleepy  courtyard,  and  its  artistic  apartments  and 
furnishings,  must  have  rivaled  that  of  many  a  prince  and 
potentate  of  his  time.  More  than  once  royalty  itself  has  paid 
homage  to  the  master  printer  and  his  home,  as  Mr.  De  Vinne 
pointed  out  to  us  when  we  inspected  its  manuscript  records. 
For  among  the  most  interesting  documents  on  file  was  one 
entitled  *  A  True  and  Simple  Account  of  all  the  Griefs  which 
I,  Christopher  Plantin,  have  Suffered  during  nearly  Five 
Years,  for  having  obeyed  the  Commandments  of  His  Maj- 
esty the  King  [Philip  II],  without  having  Received  Pay- 
ment or  Recompense,'  showing  that  kings  ran  into  debt  in 
those  days,  and  that  even  printers  had  their  trials.  It  is  duly 
recorded,  also,  that  Napoleon  the  Great,  with  some  of  his 
marshals,  visited  the  printing-house  at  the  request  of  its 
owner,  one  of  Plantin's  descendants,  and  himself  turned  the 
press  that  Christopher  Plantin  worked. 

**  I  could  not  help  feeling  that  the  shade  of  Plantin  must 
have  felt  a  far  keener  joy  in  that  appreciative  visit  of  his  fel- 
low-craftsman than  in  any  patronizing  compliment  from 
emperor  or  king.  For  ourselves,  it  was  an  unforgetable 
pleasure  to  be  guided  through  this  famous  home  of  a  mas- 
ter printer  of  three  hundred  years  ago  by  the  master  printer 
of  our  own  day.  And  besides  the  satisfaction  of  inspecting 
the  building  itself — a  rare  treasure  of  antiquity — there  were 

D13 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

revealed  to  us  anew  in  those  few  hours  the  depth  and  inten- 
sity of  Mr.  De  Vinne's  devotion  to  his  art." 

I  have  been  told  a  curious  incident  of  his  last  days.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  he  died  on  Monday,  February  16. 
On  the  previous  Friday,  when  he  was  signing  some  papers, 
he  said  to  Mr.  Bothwell :  **  I  had  a  peculiar  dream  last  night. 
I  fell  asleep  and  found  myself  wandering  on  the  bank  of  a 
river.  After  a  time  I  seemed  to  recognize  it  as  the  river 
Styx.  Presently  I  felt  a  touch  upon  my  shoulder,  and,  turn- 
ing, found  it  was  Charon,  the  ferryman.  He  said  to  me: 
*  De  Vinne,  you  have  been  here  about  five  years  too  long. 
Don't  you  think  you  had  better  come  across?'"  And  the  dear 
old  man  laughed  as  heartily  as  if  the  somber  boatman  were 
not  already  impatient  at  his  oars.  But  Charon  never  had  a 
more  willing  or  companionable  or  honest  passenger,  nor  one 
who  has  left  a  greater  vacancy  in  the  circle  of  his  friends. 
He  made  many  useful  and  beautiful  books,  but  the  most 
beautiful  and  useful  book  of  all  was  his  life  of  unfaltering 
ideality.  His  business  associates  of  the  present  day,  who, 
inspired  by  the  traditions  he  has  left  them,  are  intelligently 
devoting  themselves  to  the  work  of  maintaining  the  repu- 
tation of  the  great  house  which  he  founded,  have  a  right  to 
show  the  greatest  pride  not  only  in  his  service  to  his  art, 
but  in  his  service  to  humanity. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  followed  by  Mr.  Walter  Gilliss,  repre- 
senting The  Grolier  Club,  of  which  Mr.  De  Vinne  was  a 
founder.  After  reading  a  resolution^  adopted  by  the  Club 
at  a  special  meeting  held  on  February  1 8,  Mr.  Gilliss  spoke 
of  his  personal  knowledge  of  Mr.  De  Vinne. 

^The  resolution  will  be  found  on  page  47, 

1:32: 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

MR.  GILLISS'S  ADDRESS 
Mr.  Chairman  and  brother  'Printers: 

While  I  am  before  you  I  wish  to  add,  in  a  few  words,  my 
personal  tribute,  as  a  friend  and  a  printer,  to  that  of  The 
Grolier  Club. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  Mr.  DeVinne  was  through 
one  of  his  books.  Probably  only  the  older  among  you  will 
recall  that  there  appeared  in  1869  a  book  entitled  '*The 
Printers'  Price  List.''  This  book,  published  by  Francis 
Hart  &  Company,  with  whom  Mr.  DeVinne  was  associated 
at  that  time,  and  evidencing  an  intimate  knowledge  of  every 
detail  of  the  printers'  business, was  written  by  Mr.  DeVinne 
with  the  aim  of  aiding  in  establishing  rates  for  printing  which 
would  be  fair  to  the  customer  and  yet  reasonably  remunera- 
tive to  the  printer,  instead  of  relying  upon  the  haphazard 
method  of  rate-making  then  prevailing,  which  frequently  re- 
sulted in  loss  to  the  printers.  All  the  elaborate  present-day 
systems  for  ascertaining  exact  costs  on  which  to  base  rea- 
sonable rates,  may,  it  seems  to  me,  be  said  to  have  resulted 
from  this  first  effort  made  by  Mr.  DeVinne  for  the  benefit 
of  the  printers  of  this  city;  and  on  this  ground  alone  a  large 
debt  is  owed  by  them  to  Mr.  DeVinne. 

But  this  was  but  the  beginning  of  the  obligations  of  the 
printing  fraternity  to  Mr.  DeVinne. 

In  my  younger  days  it  was  more  than  once  said  to  me,  by 
a  friend  of  mature  years,  that  in  his  youth  a  common  saying 
prevailed  that  **it  was  no  harm  to  cheat  a  printer" — surely 
an  unfortunate  implication  and  a  severe  reflection  on  the 
standing  of  the  trade  and  its  practitioners;  and  even  as  late 

[33: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

as  the  early  seventies  there  were  few  in  this  country  who 
looked  upon  printing  as  anything  more  than  a  trade. 

It  is  true  that  the  Aldine  Press  in  some  of  their  work  were 
striving  to  raise  the  standard  of  typography,  Mr.  Sutton's 
dictum  being  that  **  printing,  even  if  low-priced,  need  not  be 
botched";  and  in  their  monthly  magazine,  the  **Aldine," 
many  fine  woodcuts  were  well  printed,  but  **what  were 
they  among  so  many"?  The  ** Aldine"  was  merely  an 
oasis  in  the  desert. 

But  with  the  development  of  Mr.  DeVinne  as  a  printer 
there  came  a  distinct  change  in  typographic  methods, 
and  from  the  lower  levels  of  a  ** trade"  and  strict  ** com- 
mercialism," printing  in  this  country  began  to  ascend  the 
difficult  heights  until  it  reached  once  more  its  rightful  place 
as  one  of  the  arts. 

Had  Mr.  DeVinne  done  nothing  more  than  to  raise  the 
standard  of  magazine  printing  to  the  height  to  which  the 
printing  of  the**  Century  Magazine"  attained,  he  would  have 
done  well ;  but  this  was  only  one  of  the  achievements  of  his 
long  and  busy  life. 

The  love  of  the  printed  book  was  innate  in  him,  and  the 
makingof  many  of  the booksforTheGrolier  Club  established 
new  standards.  Nothing  could  be  more  admirable  than  the 
composition  and  presswork  of  such  books  as  **A  Decree  of 
Star  Chamber  Concerning  Printing,"  **The  Rubaiyat  of 
Omar  Khayyam,"  **The  Philobiblon,"  **The  Scarlet  Let- 
ter," and  many  others  of  the  Club's  publications,  not  forget- 
ting the  reprint  edition  of  the  "Areopagitica:  a  Speech  by 
John  Milton  for  the  Liberty  of  Unlicenced  Printing  to  the 
Parliament  of  England,"  which,  to  my  mind,  is  one  of  the 
most  perfect  of  the  set,  while  the  vellum  copy  of  it  is  a  veri- 

[34] 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

table  ^em,  comparable  with  the  vellum  copies  of  the  Books 
of  Hours  printed  by  Pigouchet  in  Paris  in  1500,  which  for 
four  hundred  years  have  been  esteemed  monuments  of  the 
art  of  printing. 

According  to  Mr»  A.  W.  Drake,  who,  as  well  as  Mr.  De 
Vinne,  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Grolier  Club,  it  was 
Mr.  De  Vinne  who  suggested  the  reprinting  of  **A  Decree 
of  Star  Chamber''  as  the  Club's  first  publication,  a  happy 
selection.  It  made  a  small  octavo  volume  of  eighty  pages, 
with  an  introduction  of  six  pages. 

It  has  been  said  that  **  times  change,  and  men  change  with 
them."  It  was  specially  true  regarding  this  little  book.  Well 
do  I  remember  that  when  it  appeared  in  1884,  the  price  of 
two  dollars  per  copy  was  thought  high  for  so  small  a  book 
by  some  members  of  the  Club,  and  yet  fifteen  or  twenty  years 
afterward  a  copy  of  this  book  sold  for  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars  I 

How  many  of  our  fellow-printers  would  like  to  be  sub- 
ject in  these  days  to  the  restrictions  of  **A  Decree  of  Star 
Chamber,"  one  paragraph  of  which  reads: 

'*  1 1 .  Item,  That  no  person  or  persons  whatsoever,  shall 
at  any  time  print  or  cause  to  be  imprinted,  any  Booke  or 
Pamphlet  whatsoever,  unless  the  same  Booke  or  Pamph- 
let, and  also  all  and  every  the  Titles,  Epistles,  Prefaces, 
Proems,  Preambles,  Introductions, Tables,  Dedications  and 
other  matters  and  things  whatsoever  thereunto  annexed,  or 
therewith  imprinted,  shall  be  first  lawfully  licenced  and  au- 
thorized only  by  such  person  and  persons  as  are  hereafter 
expressed,  and  by  no  other,  and  shall  be  also  first  entred 
into  the  Register's  Booke  of  the  Company  of  Stationers; 

D53 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

upon  paine  that  every  Printer  offending  therein  shall  be 
forever  hereafter  disabled  to  use  or  exercise  the  Art  or  Mys- 
terie  of  Printing,  and  receive  such  further  punishment,  as  by 
this  Court  or  the  high  Commission  Court  respectively  .  .  . 
shall  be  thought  fitting." 

Would  you  not  say,  as  Milton  did  in  his  **Areopagitica"  : 

**  I  deny  not,  but  that  it  is  of  greatest  concernment  in  the 
Church  and  Commonwealth,  to  have  a  vigilant  eye  how 
Bookes  demeane  themselves  as  well  as  men ;  and  thereafter 
to  confine  in  prison  and  do  sharpest  justice  to  them  as  male- 
factors: For  Books  are  not  absolutely  dead  things  but  doe 
contain  a  potencie  of  life  in  them  to  be  as  active  as  the  soule 
was  whose  progeny  they  are;  nay  they  do  preserve  as  in  a 
violl  the  purest  efficacie  and  extraction  of  that  living  intel- 
lect that  bred  them.  I  know  they  are  as  lively,  and  as  vig- 
orously productive,  as  those  fabulous  Dragons  teeth ;  and 
being  sown  up  and  down,  may  chance  to  spring  up  armed 
men.  And  yet  on  the  other  hand  unlesse  warinesse  be  us'd, 
as  good  almost  kill  a  Man  as  kill  a  good  Book;  who  kills 
a  Man  kills  a  reasonable  creature,  God's  Image;  but  he 
who  destroyes  a  good  Booke,  kills  reason  it  selfe." 

From  Mr.  DeVinne's  pen  flowed  many  books  and  arti- 
cles on  printing  and  related  subjects;  the  most  notable  is 
his  "  Invention  of  Printing,"  which  is  an  acknowledged  au- 
thority; and  it  was  this  book  which  did  much  to  establish 
his  reputation  as  a  student  of  printing. 

His  '*  Historic  Printing  Types,"  ''Christopher  Plantin," 
**Title-Pages  as  Seen  by  a  Printer,"  and  **  Notable  Printers 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

of  Italy  during  the  Fifteenth  Century"  were  all  published 
by  The  Grolier  Clubhand  are  worthy  books — worthy  of  the 
man,  and  worthy  of  his  work,  which  reached  that  high 
standard  of  perfection  which  it  is  difficult  to  attain. 

It  was  not  until  the  meeting  of  January  23,  1884,  which 
led  to  the  founding  of  The  Grolier  Club,  that  I  met  Mr. 
DeVinne  personally.  After  that  we  met  frequently  at  the 
meetings  of  the  Grolier  and  the  Typothetee,  of  which  my 
firm  was  for  many  years  a  member,  and  I  am  glad  to  say 
that  through  all  these  years  Mr.  DeVinne  was  my  friend, 
and  I  felt  honored  by  his  friendship. 

In  the  business  meetings  of  the  Typothetae  I  can  recall 
no  instance  in  which  Mr.  DeVinne  did  not  stand  for  that 
which  was  right,  that  which  was  fair,  that  which  was  just, 
both  to  our  men  and  to  the  Typothetae. 

In  the  meetings  of  The  Grolier  Club  and  its  Council  his 
knowledge  of  books  and  their  making  was  always  at  com- 
mand, but  not  didactically  put  forward. 

Several  times  in  the  course  of  years  I  had  occasion  to 
seek  Mr.  DeVinne's  advice.  Never  was  it  refused,  but 
always  given  fully,  frankly,  freely,  as  a  father  would  advise 
a  son;  and  the  advice  was  good. 

It  was  a  happy  inspiration  of  the  artist  Brenner  to  com- 
bine the  medallion  portraits  of  Franklin  and  DeVinne  on 
the  souvenir  of  the  TypothetcE  of  January  1 7,  1 902  ;  for  as 
Franklin  helped  to  spread  the  light  which  flowed  from 
the  printing-press  in  the  eighteenth  century,  so  DeVinne 
caught  up  his  mantle  and  spread  the  light  in  the  nineteenth 
century. 

Truly  a  great  man  and  a  great  printer  has  been  taken 
from  us.    How  many  among  us  will  strive  to  follow  him 

on 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

worthily  in  the  practice  of  that  art  to  which  he  devoted  his 
life— 

"Without  which,  all  the  other  arts  are  dead, 
And  learning  from  our  land  had  quickly  fled; 
But  with  which,  education,  arts,  shall  stand. 
As  mighty  bulwarks  to  protect  our  land.*' 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  upon  the  motion  of  William 
Green  an  appropriate  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted. 
The  resolution  will  be  found  on  page  43- 


[38] 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  CORPORATIONS, 
SOCIETIES,  AND  CLUBS 


From  the  bronze  bust  by 
Chester  <Beach 

A  testimonial  to  Mr.  <DeVinne  by  the 

United  Typothetoe  of  America 

and  personal  friends 

In  the  Avery  S^emorial  'Building 

Columbia  University 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  CORPORATIONS, 
SOCIETIES,  AND  CLUBS 


HE  life  and  work  of  Theodore  Low 
DeVinne  have  been  summarized  in 
the  preceding  pa^es  by  men  prominent 
in  literature  and  in  the  graphic  arts. 
His  achievements  as  master  printer 
and  as  historian  of  the  printing  art, 
^reat  though  they  undoubtedly  were, 
constituted,  however,  but  a  part  of  the. 
labors  of  a  long  and  busy  life.  As  employer,  printer,  and 
author  his  activities  were  manifold.  He  was  proud  of  the 
great  printing-house  which  he  had  built  up,  and  of  the  im- 
provement in  the  standard  of  printing  throughout  the  coun- 
try, due  in  large  measure  to  his  own  untiring  efforts.  He 
was  proud,  too,  of  the  great  city  in  which  he  lived,  and  with 
true  public  spirit  cheerfully  responded  to  the  frequent  de- 
mands upon  time  which  he  could  ill  spare.  Among  the 
honors  which  came  to  Mr.  DeVinne  from  other  cities  was 
that  of  Judge  of  Exhibits  in  the  Department  of  Printing  at 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

the  Pan-American  Exposition  held  at  Buffalo,  New  York, 
in  I  90 1.  The  duties  of  this  office  were  discharged  by  him 
with  his  usual  thoroughness,  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned.  Mr.  DeVinne  was  a  member  of  various 
associations,  societies, and  clubs, to  the  presidency  of  which 
he  was  frequently  elected.  From  the  many  sympathetic  and 
appreciative  resolutions  received  on  the  occasion  of  his 
death,  the  following  are  taken  as  evidence  of  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held. 


1142] 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE  TYPOTHET^ 

At  a  meeting  of  the  master  printers  of  New  York,  held 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Typothetee  of  the  City  of  New- 
York,  at  the  Aldine  Club,  March  tenth,  nineteen  hundred 
and  fourteen,  the  following  minute  was  unanimously  adopted 
by  a  rising  vote : 

^esolved^  That  in  the  death  of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne, 
which  occurred  at  New  York  on  February  16,  I  9  14,  this 
Society  has  lost  an  able  member  and  a  firm  friend.  Mr. 
DeVinne  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  theTypothetce,  was 
elected  secretary  at  its  first  meeting,  March  21,  1865,  and 
retained  his  membership  until  the  date  of  his  death.  He 
manifested  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  Society,  the 
objects  of  which  he  promoted  by  wise  counsel  and  energetic 
effort.  His  efficient  services,  voluntarily  ^iven,  were  based 
upon  a  keen  delight  in  his  art,  and  a  desire  for  its  encour- 
agement in  this  community.  This  Association  recognized 
in  Mr.  DeVinne  a  man  of  lofty  ideals,  with  great  tenacity 
of  purpose  and  courage  of  conviction.  He  discharged  with 
marked  ability  the  duties  of  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and 
his  ever-widening  sphere  of  action  made  him  useful  alike  to 
city,  country,  and  the  world.  As  a  memorial  to  its  esteemed 
associate,  this  Society  directs  that  this  minute  be  entered 

11433 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

upon  its  records,  and  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  his  family,  to 
whom  the  members  of  this  Society  tender  their  sincerest 
sympathy. 

J.  W.  BOTHWELL, 

'President. 
FREDERICK  ALFRED, 

Chairman,  Executive  Committee. 
W.  GREEN, 

ROBERT  SCHALKENBACH, 
JOHN  CLYDE  OSWALD, 
FRANK  L.  MONTAGUE, 
G.  FREDERICK  KALKHOFF, 

Committee. 


[44] 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE  CENTURY  CO. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  Century 
Co.,  held  on  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  February,  nineteen 
hundred  and  fourteen,  all  being  present,  the  following  reso- 
lution was  offered  and  adopted,  and  a  copy  was  ordered  sent 
to  the  family  of  Mr.  De  Vinne: 

Resolution:  The  trustees  of  The  Century  Co.  desire  to 
record  their  deep  sense  of  loss  in  the  death  of  their  dear 
friend  and  colaborer,  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne.  For  more 
than  forty  years  there  has  existed  between  Mr.  De  Vinne 
and  the  men  who  compose  this  company  an  alliance  far 
closer  than  is  usual  between  printer  and  publisher.  It  has 
been  an  alliance  unbroken  by  any  differences,  each  helping 
the  other,  both  having  but  one  aim,  and  that  the  perfection 
of  their  product.  In  all  these  years  there  is  no  instance  of 
Mr.  De  Vinne  permitting  work  to  go  out  of  his  establishment 
that  was  not  absolutely  the  best  possible. 

A  thoroughly  practical  artisan,  beginning  his  career  by 
setting  type  with  his  own  hands,  Mr.  De  Vinne  developed 
the  art  of  printing  to  its  highest  point  in  America,  and  estab- 
lished an  enviable  reputation  in  the  countries  of  the  Old 
World.  With  duties  that  would  take  the  whole  time  of  most 
men ,  along  with  his  business  he  contrived  to  develop  a  know- 

[1453 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

led^e  of  the  history  of  printing  that  placed  him  in  a  class 
alone.  His  works  are  already  established  classics.  The 
**Century"was  the  first  to  popularize  real  art  in  a  magazine, 
and  this  great  service  to  art  and  to  the  public  is  due  in  large 
measure  to  the  energy  and  conscientiousness  of  the  great 
modern  Aldus,  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne.  Besides  the 
**  Century  Magazine"  and  **  St.  Nicholas, "there  stand  to  his 
credit  a  number  of  volumes  any  one  of  which  might  make 
the  reputation  of  a  lesser  printer.  By  reason  of  his  skill  in 
developing  the  art  preservative,  the  books  and  magazines 
bearing  his  imprint  have  set  a  standard  for  American  pub- 
lishers and  printers. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  resolution  to  express  the  sense 
of  indebtedness  of  The  Century  Co.  to  this  master,  distin- 
guished alike  for  his  lofty  ideals  of  character,  his  schol- 
arly attainments,  and  his  splendid  achievements.  Even 
greater  than  his  work  was  his  personality,  his  helpfulness, 
his  lovableness,  his  sense  of  justice. 

As  a  company  we  realize  that  the  greatest  printer  of  his 
time  has  passed  away ;  as  individuals  we  know  that  we  have 
lost  a  dear  companion  and  friend  whose  memory  will  be 
cherished  while  life  lasts. 

WILLIAM  W.  ELLSWORTH, 
GEO.  INNESS,  JR., 
IRA  H.  BRAINERD, 


DOUGLAS  Z.  DOTY, 

Secretary. 


Trustees. 


L^e: 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE   GROLIER   CLUB 

The  Council  of  The  Grolier  Club,  assembled  in  special 
meeting,  record  their  deep  regret  at  the  death  of  their  long- 
time associate,  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  and  their  appre- 
ciation of  his  high  character,  strong  ability,  and  notable 
achievements. 

While  known  throughout  the  world  as  the  chief  expo- 
nent of  the  printer's  art  in  this  country,  and  as  a  worthy  suc- 
cessor of  those  who  have  become  famous  in  other  times  as 
master  printers;  and  honored  by  great  universities, and  by 
associates  in  the  craft  and  his  fellow-citizens,  for  his  emi- 
nence in  his  profession,  he  has  been  bound  these  many 
years  to  his  fellow-members  of  The  Grolier  Club  in  a  closer 
and  more  intimate  relation. 

Already  pre-eminent  as  a  printer,  he  entered  with  enthu- 
siasm into  the  project  of  establishing  this  Club  for  the  pro- 
motion of  the  arts  pertaining  to  the  production  of  books,  and 
bringing  together  in  this  common  purpose  men  of  kindred 
interest  and  zeal. 

As  the  printer  of  the  greater  number  of  the  books  which 
the  Club  has  from  time  to  time  put  forth  to  illustrate  and 
encourage  these  arts,  he  has  left  enduring  monuments  of 
his  taste,  knowledge,  and  judgment,  and  thus  has  been  an 
efficient  factor  in  spreading  the  influence  which  the  Club  is 

[47] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

believed  to  have  exerted  in  this  and  other  countries  toward 
a  higher  standard  in  the  making  of  books. 

As  scholar  and  writer  he  has  contributed  notable  mono- 
graphs for  Club  publications,  which  record  valuable  results 
of  his  learning,  observation,  and  experience,  and  which  it 
has  been  a  privilege  for  the  Club  to  embody  in  permanent 
form. 

As  a  member  of  The  Grolier  Club,  Mr.  DeVinne  has 
always  had  its  interests  closely  at  heart,  guiding  or  follow- 
ing its  activities  in  every  direction :  in  service  upon  its  Com- 
mittee on  Publications  he  has  been  zealous,  diligent,  and 
laborious  ;  as  a  member  of  the  Council  he  has  been  assid- 
uous in  attendance  at  its  meetings,  bearing  always  his  full 
share  of  its  responsibilities;  and  as  president  during  two 
consecutive  years  he  adhered  to  the  ideals  and  maintained 
the  standards  which  have  given  the  Club  the  position  it 
holds. 

Held  in  universal  esteem  by  the  whole  membership  of 
the  Club,  he  has  won  also  the  warm  affection  of  those  with 
whom,  as  members  of  the  Council,  he  has  come  into  terms 
of  closer  intimacy,  and  who  have  keenly  enjoyed  his  com- 
panionship and  felt  honored  by  his  friendship. 

It  is  ordered  that  a  copy  of  this  minute  be  printed  in  ap- 
propriate form  and  sent  to  the  family  of  Mr.  DeVinne,  and 
that  it  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  Club  and  printed 
in  the  forthcoming  year-book. 

WALTER  GILLISS, 

Secretary. 


C^s] 


RESOLUTIONS 

BOSTON  TYPOTHET/E  BOARD  OP  TRADE 

ZVhereas^  there  occurred  on  February  16,  1 914,  the  death 
of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  an  employing  printer  of  New 
York  City,  former  president  of  the  New  York  Typothetae, 
and  of  the  United  Typothetee  of  America;  be  it 

^esolvedf  that  it  is  our  judgment  that  in  his  death  there  has 
passed  away  the  foremost  printer  of  his  time.  The  high  qual- 
ity of  his  printing,  the  ability  he  displayed  in  his  contribu- 
tions to  the  literature  of  our  craft,  and  the  time  and  energy 
he  gave  unselfishly  to  organized  effort  to  improve  printing- 
trade  conditions,  earned  for  him  a  place  in  history  and  in  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow-printers  that  will  not  for  a  long  time,  if 
ever,  be  filled. 

Resolved,  that  the  members  of  theTypothetae  of  Boston  feel 
deeply  the  loss  which  the  printing  fraternity  has  sustained 
in  his  death  ;  that  they  extend  sincere  sympathy  to  his  fam- 
ily and  business  associates  in  their  great  bereavement;  and 
be  it  further 

^esolved^  that  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  the  family, 
that  a  copy  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  Association, 
and  that  copies  be  furnished  to  the  press. 

GEO.  H.  ELLIS, 

GEORGE   K.  BIRD, 

THOMAS  TODD, 

Committee. 


1:49: 


THEODORE  LOW  DE  VINNE 

PRINTERS'  LEAGUE   OF  AMERICA 

NEW  YORK    BRANCH 

Resolved,  that  in  the  death  of  our  beloved  fellow-printer, 
Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  which  occurred  on  February  16, 
I914,  the  printing  craft  has  lost  a  member  who  has  de- 
voted a  life-long  service  to  the  perfection  of  the  art  of  ty- 
pography and  the  advancement  of  its  ideals. 

He  manifested  at  all  times  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  our  craft,  the  improvement  of  which  he  promoted  by  wise 
counsel  and  energetic  effort.  His  efficient  services,  volun- 
tarily given,  were  actuated  by  his  constant  desire  for  the 
encouragement  and  uplift  of  the  Art  Preservative  of  Arts, 

The  members  of  the  Printers'  League  of  America  recog- 
nized in  Mr.  DeVinne  a  man  of  lofty  ideals,  with  tenacity  of 
purpose  and  courage  of  conviction.  His  many  contributions 
to  the  literature  of  the  craft  will  ever  remain  a  perpetual 
monument  to  his  memory. 

As  a  memorial  to  our  fellow-craftsman,  Theodore  Low 
DeVinne,  a  minute  will  be  entered  in  the  records  of  our  So- 
ciety, and  a  copy  sent  to  his  family,  to  whom  we  tender  our 
sincere  sympathy. 


CHAS.  FRANCIS, 

President. 


WILLIAM  DRISCOLL, 

Chairman  of  Committee, 


GEORGE  W.  GREEN, 

Chairman  of  Executive  Committee. 


:503 


RESOLUTIONS 

CLUB   OF    PRINTING    HOUSE   CRAFTSMEN 

«^> 

February  1 9,  I914. 

As  a  token  of  sincere  sympathy  and  regret  at  the  death 
of  the  late  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne,  and  of  his  usefulness  to 
the  craft  at  large,  the  Club  of  Printing  House  Craftsmen,  at 
their  meeting  held  on  the  above  date,  unanimously  adopted 
the  following  tribute  and  resolution: 

Whereas^  the  Club  of  Printing  House  Craftsmen  learns 
with  deep  regret  of  the  death  of  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne, 
which  took  place  at  his  home.  No.  3OO  West  Seventy-sixth 
Street,  New  York,  on  Monday,  February  16,  I  9  1 4 ;  and 

VDhereaSj  the  great  services  rendered  by  Mr.  De  Vinne 
to  the  art  of  printing  during  his  long  life  are  well  known  to 
every  member  of  the  Club;  therefore  be  it 

^esolvedj  that  the  Club  of  Printing  House  Craftsmen  hereby 
testifies  to  its  high  appreciation  of  the  great  qualities  and 
commanding  ability  which  placed  Mr.  De  Vinne  among  the 
foremost  printers  of  his  time;  and  be  it  further 

^esolvedj  that  as  a  testimony  of  such  appreciation  these 
resolutions  be  entered  in  the  Club's  minutes  and  thus  made 
part  of  its  permanent  records;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution,  together  with  a  let- 
ter of  sympathy,  be  sent  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

The  same  is  recorded  in  the  minutes  of  the  Club. 

CAMILLE  DEVEZE, 

President. 
HENRY  KANEGSBERG, 

Secretary. 

C5I] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 


THE    DEVINNE    PRESS    MUTUAL   AID   ASSOCIATION 

February  18,  I  914. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  DeVinne  Press  Mutual  Aid  Associa- 
tion held  February  18,  1 9 1 4,  the  following  resolutions  were 
adopted: 

VOhereas,  in  the  death  of  Mr.  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  the 
Association  has  suffered  a  severe  loss;  it  is 

'J^esohedf  that  the  Association  hereby  testifies  to  its  sincere 
admiration  and  love  for  its  departed  fellow-member;  and  it 
is  further 

^esolvedf  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  be  spread  in  full  on 
the  minutes  of  the  Association,  and  a  copy  sent  to  the  family. 

JOHN  VOGLER, 

'President, 
JAMES  B.  SHAW, 

Secretary. 


O^l 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE   SOCIETY  OF   PRINTERS,  BOSTON 

March  28,  1 914. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Society  of  Printers,  held  on  March  2  5 , 
1 9 1 4,  the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted, 
and  it  was  voted  that  they  be  spread  upon  the  records  and 
a  copy  sent  to  Mr.  DeVinne's  family: 

^esolvedf  that  in  the  death  of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  an 
honorary  member  of  this  Society,  the  printing  craft  in  Amer- 
ica has  lost  its  most  distinguished  member; 

That,  as  the  recognized  authority  on  the  history  of  printing ; 
as  a  pioneer  in  the  field  of  cost-keeping;  as  a  promoter,  both 
by  precept  and  example,  of  artistic  excellence,  his  life  has 
been  of  lasting  service  to  the  industry  which  he  loved; 

That,  as  the  leader  of  his  profession,  he  has  well  deserved 
the  respect  and  affection  which  have  long  been  felt  for  him 
by  those  engaged  in  the  art  of  book-making; 

That  this  Society,  in  which  a  few  of  his  many  friends  are 
enrolled,  may  fittingly  record  its  appreciation  of  the  notable 
example  he  has  set. 

C.  CHESTER   LANE, 

Secretary. 


D3: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 


AMERICAN    INSTITUTE   OF   GRAPHIC    ARTS 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Amer- 
ican Institute  of  Graphic  Arts,  on  Tuesday,  February  17, 
I  9  1 4,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  and  ordered  sent 
to  the  surviving  relatives  of  the  deceased: 

To  the  family  of  the  late  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  this  ex- 
pression of  our  sincere  condolence  is  addressed. 

We  feel  that  in  his  death  America  loses  the  greatest  figure 
in  the  field  of  printing  to-day.  His  was  a  forceful  and  inter- 
esting character,  full  of  individual  power,  full  of  initiative. 
He  helped,  perhaps  more  than  any  other,  to  bring  to  blossom 
the  short-lived  flower  of  American  engraving  on  wood,  for  by 
his  ingenuity  and  untiring  patience  he  discovered  the  way 
to  print  wood-engravings  on  the  modern  press. 

Among  his  most  conspicuous  work  as  a  printer  of  books, 
in  addition  to  many  other  special  editions,  was  the  long 
series  of  beautiful  and  carefully  wrought  volumes  issued  by 
The  Grolier  Club.  In  his  work  for  magazines  we  pick  out 
thatdonefor  "St.  Nicholas"  and  the'^Century,"  with  special 
reference  to  his  loving  care  of  the  series  of  reproductions  in 
woodcut  by  Timothy  Cole  from  old  paintings.  By  his  en- 
couragement of  younger  men  in  his  well-known  printing- 
bouse,  as  well  as  by  his  writings  on  the  history  of  printing  and 
the  printer's  art,  be  caused  his  influence  to  be  felt  in  wide 

[:54j 


RESOLUTIONS 

circles  which  affected  many  persons  whenever  saw  him  face 
to  face.  His  practice  and  his  technical  publications  made 
him  easily  the  Dean  of  his  Guild.  H  is  fame  was  by  no  means 
confined  to  his  own  land;  his  name  is  known  wherever  the 
printing-press  is  used.  For  his  high-^rade  work,  and  for  the 
published  treatises  on  the  art  to  which  his  life  was  given 
with  such  singular  devotion,  he  received  honorary  degrees 
from  Yale  and  Columbia  universities.  His  writings  have 
given  definite  standards  to  all  members  of  the  printer  guild, 
and  books  which  he  printed  for  others  have  been  accepted 
as  examples  with  respect  to  paper,  types,  and  style. 

The  Institute  of  Graphic  Arts  thinks  it  therefore  proper, 
in  addressing  the  remaining  members  of  his  family,  to  min- 
gle with  its  profound  regrets  a  portion  of  congratulation  for 
the  high  services  to  the  public  rendered  by  Theodore  Low 
DeVinne, — congratulation  over  a  life  so  well  spent  and  so 
honorable  in  every  way. 

A.  W.  DRAKE, 

Honorary  'President, 
CHARLES  DE  KAY, 

Secretary. 


D53 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 


BEN    FRANKLIN    CLUB    OF   CINCINNATI 

March  3,  1914. 

The  Ben  Franklin  Club  of  Cincinnati,  through  its  Board 
of  Directors,  desires  to  express  its  deepest  sympathy  to  the 
family  of  the  late  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne. 

We  feel  that  in  his  demise  the  whole  craft  has  suffered 
irreparable  loss,  and  his  passing  away  leaves  a  niche  in  the 
printing  fraternity  that  cannot  be  filled. 

He  was  a  man  whose  sympathy  and  wise  counsel,  and  his 
readiness  always  to  extend  a  helping  hand,  had  endeared 
him  to  all. 

It  was  resolved^  that  the  Cincinnati  Ben  Franklin  Club 
express  their  sincere  sympathy  and  condolence  to  his  family 
and  business  associates  on  this  occasion  of  their  great  be- 
reavement. 

J.  M.  THOMSSEN, 
C.J,  KREHBIEL, 
ALLEN   COLLIER. 


[56] 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE   GENERAL   SOCIETY  OF   MECHANICS 
AND  TRADESMEN 

dlft> 

In  Memoriam 

Brother  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  initiated  May  3,  1882; 
died  February  16,1914.  A  member  of  the  General  Society 
of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
This  memorial  of  respect  was  adopted  by  the  General  So- 
ciety of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen,  and  is  transmitted  with 
the  sincere  sympathy  of  its  members,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  nine  hundred  and  fourteen. 


LEWIS  W.  HARRINGTON, 

President. 
RICHARD  T.  DAVIES, 

Secretary, 


i^n 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

THE    HISPANIC    SOCIETY    OF   AMERICA 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  His- 
panic Society  of  America,  held  in  the  City  of  New  York, 
June  10,  I  5  M,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted: 

Whereas^  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,a  member  of  The  His- 
panic Society  of  America,  departed  this  life  the  sixteenth 
day  of  February,  I  9 1 4,  in  New  York  City ;  and 

Whereas,  by  his  high  reputation  as  author,  by  the  great 
eminence  attained  as  printer-publisher,  by  the  standard  he 
set  for  the  art  of  typography,  in  which  he  was  universally 
recognized  as  a  master  unexcelled,  he  added  through  his  ac- 
tivities to  the  honor  and  name  of  this  Society ;  therefore  be  it 
T^esolved,  that  we,  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  The  Hispanic 
Society  of  America,  on  behalf  of  ourselves  and  the  members 
of  the  Society,  desire  to  place  upon  record  our  appreciation 
of  his  great  work ;  to  express  our  deep  sense  of  the  serious 
loss  which  his  death  brings  to  the  world  of  arts  and  letters, 
in  which  he  occupied  so  distinguished  a  place,  as  well  as  to 
the  immediate  interests  of  this  Society;  and  to  offer  to  the 
family  of  our  departed  friend  the  assurance  of  our  profound 
sympathy;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  that  this  minute  be  entered  on  the  records  of  the 
Society;  and  that  a  copy  of  this  resolution  of  sympathy  be 
suitably  engrossed  and  presented  to  the  family  of  the  de- 
ceased. 

ARCHER  M.HUNTINGTON, 

President. 
EDWARD    L.  STEVENSON, 

Secretarij. 


RESOLUTIONS 


THE   AMERICAN    NUMISMATIC    SOCIETY 

Whereas^  Mr.  Theodore  L.  DeVinne,  a  member  of  this 
Society  since  1 902,  departed  this  Ufe  on  February  1 6, 1 914; 
therefore  be  it 

^eso/i;ec/,  that  in  the  death  of  Mr.  DeVinne,The  American 
Numismatic  Society  has  lost  a  valued  member  and  the  com- 
munity a  distinguished  citizen. 

^esolved^  that  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
of  the  Society,  and  a  copy  sent  to  Mr.  De  Vinne's  family. 

BAUMAN  L.  BELDEN, 

Secretary. 


D93 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES  OF  FRIENDS,  BUSINESS 
ASSOCIATES,  AND  THE  PRESS 


HE  following  extracts  from  personal 
letters,  newspapers,  and  magazine  ar- 
ticles have  been  selected  for  quota- 
tion from  among  the  large  number 
received,  because  each  represents  a 
different  phase  of  Mr,  DeVinne's  char- 
acter and  influence,  or  sets  forth  a  vary- 
ing point  of  view  of  the  writer. 


LETTERS 

New  York,  February  18,  I914. 
It  is  with  sincere  sorrow  that  we  have  heard  of  the  death 
of  your  honored  father,  Mr.  Theodore  L.  DeVinne,  our 
friend  of  many  years,  our  fellow-printer,  and  the  dean  of  his 
and  our  craft.  While  assuring  you  and  your  firm  of  our 
sympathy  in  this  bereavement,  we  cannot  refrain  from  refer- 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

rin^  to  the  well-deserved  position  in  the  trade  to  which  your 
father  had  attained.  His  ^ood  taste,  his  sense  of  honor  and 
expression  in  typography,  his  instinct  in  grasping  the  true 
principles  of  the  art,  and  his  quick  perception  of  the  re- 
quirements of  critical  readers  placed  him  at  the  head  of  his 
craftsmen,  and  stimulated  the  honest  endeavor  of  those  of 
us  who  were  sensitive  as  to  the  most  effective  methods  of 
making  men's  thoughts  appeal  to  other  men.  This  seemed 
to  be  your  father's  mission:  he  heard  the  call  and  followed 
the  straight  and  direct  way. 

Our  acquaintance  with  your  father  went  back  many 
years.  The  four  founders  of  our  house  knew  him,  as  well 
as  his  good  father,  who  was  their  contemporary.  Our  rela- 
tions with  your  father  were  of  the  most  friendly  nature:  we 
looked  up  to  him  as  an  authority  whose  judgment  was  de- 
cisive. Although  of  late  years,  by  reason  of  his  advanced 
age,  he  had  withdrawn  from  the  activities  of  business  life, 
the  spirit  which  he  had  infused  into  the  craft  has  proved  a 
lasting  influence. 

Again   assuring  you  of  our  sincere  sympathy,  we  are, 

dear  sir,  Sincerely  yours, 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

PRINCETON    UNIVERSITY 
PRINCETON,  N.  J. 

February  19,  I9M. 

It  is  very  sad  to  think  that  your  honored  father  is  gone, 
but  splendid  to  think  of  the  long  life  he  gave,  with  an  ar- 
tist's devotion  and  a  saint's  humility,  to  his  great  work.   It 

CM] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

is  to  me  a  ^reat  privilege  that  I  knew  him.   With  best  sym- 
pathy and  kindest  regards  to  you  and  your  son, 

Ever  yours, 

ANDREW  P.  WEST. 

New  York,  February  17,  1 914. 

I  came  home  from  Philadelphia  this  evening  to  hear  the 
sad  news  of  your  good  father's  passing  away.  The  event 
cannot  have  been  a  surprise  to  you;  but,  come  when  it  may, 
the  last  closing  of  so  beautiful  a  book  as  his  life  has  been  is 
a  poignant  sorrow,  and  I  send  you  my  friendly  sympathy. 
Though  he  was,  of  course,  very  much  to  you  that  he  could 
not  have  been  to  others,  yet  many  have  shared  much  of  his 
inspiration  and  counsel  with  you. 

His  desire  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  best  work,  and 
his  knowledge  of  what  was  the  best, were  always  most  help- 
ful to  us  of  the '* Century"  in  endeavoring  to  maintain  the 
best  standards.  Personally,  I  always  found  in  his  natural 
and  unaffected  attitude  towards  things  an  unfaltering  ideal- 
ity. That  a  man  of  his  extraordinary  professional  attain- 
ments should  have  been  so  humble  was  not  the  least  charm- 
ing trait  of  his  engaging  personality.  I  cannot  remember  a 
word  of  blame  that  he  ever  gave  if  anything  went  wrong. 
His  informing  spirit  of  experience  set  an  example  for  younger 
men,  and  placed  your  house  in  the  very  front  rank,  and  gave 
it  traditions  which  will  last  as  long  as  it  shall  last.  Good 
work,  and  treatment  of  others  by  the  Golden  Rule,  were  two 
of  his  principles  that  made  us  all  his  devoted  admirers  and 
friends. 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

As  I  think  of  him  to-ni^ht  with  real  affection,  it  seems  as 
if  he  had  never  ^rown  old.  I  am  back  again  in  those  won- 
derful days  of  the  experiments  which  he  and  Mr.  Drake 
were  making  in  all  sorts  of  cut-printing,  passing  beyond  the 
frontier  of  the  known  to  see  what  was  to  be  achieved.  Now 
that  he  has  passed  the  great  Last  Frontier  of  Life,  I  am  sure 
that  there  will  be  something  beautiful  and  congenial  for  him 
to  achieve. 

Let  us  share  with  you  your  just  pride  in  his  great  and 
lasting  usefulness  to  his  time,  and  in  the  secure  fame  with 
which  his  days  have  been  crowned. 

Faithfully  yours, 

R.  U.JOHNSON. 

YALE   UNIVERSITY   PRESS 
NEW    HAVEN,  CONN. 

February  19,  1 914- 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  we  feel  that  the  whole 
brotherhood  of  printers  has  met  with  a  severe  loss.  It  is, 
indeed,  fortunate  that  Mr.  DeVinne's  inspiration  is  of  the 
enduring  kind,  and  he  has  left  an  ineffaceable  mark  on  the 
honorable  profession  of  printing.  It  is  pleasant  to  think  that 
this  University  has  long  since  realized  the  value  of  his 
services  and  held  him  in  high  esteem. 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

E.  BYRNE  HACKETT,  director. 


L^e] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

AMERICAN  TYPE   FOUNDERS  COMPANY 
JERSEY  CITY,  N.  J. 

February  1 9,  I914. 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne,  the  hon- 
ored President  of  The  DeVinne  Press,  every  member  of 
the  printing  fraternity  has  suffered  a  personal  loss,  for  it  is 
^iven  to  few  men  to  wield  such  a  wide  and  far-reaching  in- 
fluence as  was  the  case  with  Mr.  DeVinne.  His  efforts 
were  always  for  the  betterment  and  uplifting  of  his  craft, 
and  on  that  account  he  was  honored,  respected,  and  highly 
esteemed  not  only  in  our  own  country  but  abroad.  There  is 
nothing  much  finer  in  life  than  to  come  into  personal  con- 
tact with  a  man  of  such  high  ideals  and  friendly  sympathy 
as  were  always  expressed  by  Mr.  DeVinne. 

Very  sincerely, 

FRANK  B.  BERRY. 

Boston,  February  1 9,  I914. 

The  Houghton  Mifflin  Company  extend  to  The  DeVinne 
Press  their  sympathy  in  the  loss  which  has  come  to  them 
and  to  printers  and  book-lovers  all  over  the  world  by  the 
death  of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  a  master  printer  in  the 
highest  sense. 

MUSEUM  OF  FINE  ARTS 
BOSTON,  MASS. 

I  am  so  sorry.  February  19,1914. 

All  who  knew  Mr.  DeVinne  must  feel  in  his  death  a 
sense  of  deep  personal  loss.   His  memory  will  be  kept  green 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

by  all  who  loved  him,  and  by  all  who  value  the  ideals  for 

which  his  life-work  serves  as  a  noble  monument.    He  will 

not  be  forgotten.  I  feel  honored  to  have  known  him.  To  the 

members  of  his  family,  my  sincere  sympathy;  to  the  Press 

that  bears  his  name,  my  regards,  as  ever.   To  you  is  fallen 

the  heritage  of  his  renown.    Preserve  it  through  the  years 

to  come.         IT  -^ur  11 

raithtuUy  yours, 

FITZ  ROY  CARRINGTON. 

New  York,  February  18,  I  914- 

It  does  not  make  any  difference  how  old  is  the  one  we 

love,  or  how  expected  his  death  may  be,  when  it  comes  it 

comes  with  a  shock,  and  I  know  your  father's  death  must 

have  been  a  great  shock  to  you  and  yours.   He  was  the  last 

of  the  generation  which  was  at  the  fore  when  I  came  into 

our  business,  and  he  stood  for  a  great  deal  with  me.  He  was 

so  lovable  and  so  kindly  that  he  has  never  seemed  like  a 

business  friend,  but  always  like  one  of  my  own  people.    I 

saw  but  little  of  him  these  last  years,  but  it  was  a  comfort 

to  know  that  he  was  there. 

Sincerely, 

•^     W.  W.  ELLSWORTH. 

(^ 

THE    METROPOLITAN    MUSEUM   OF   ART 
NEW  YORK 

February  20,  1 914- 

I  was  privileged  at  one  time,  when  at  The  Grolier  Club, 
to  see  your  father  often  and  more  or  less  intimately ;  and  the 
spirit  of  his  delightful  personality  and  fine  enthusiasm  for 
the  art  which  he  professed,  as  well  as  the  admiration  which 

[68] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

all  of  us  felt  for  his  accomplishment  in  this  art,  made  a  deep 
and  lasting  impression  upon  me.  I  think  I  may  say  to  you 
without  egotism — and  I  only  say  it  because  I  think  it  may 
be  a  gratification  to  you — that  the  influence  which  he  ex- 
erted upon  my  mind  has  remained,  and  will  always  remain, 
one  of  my  most  cherished  possessions. 

Very  truly  yours, 

H.  W.  KENT. 

THE  GROLIER  CLUB 
29  EAST  THIRTY-SECOND  STREET 

February  20,  1 914. 

I  have  been  confined  with  a  bad  cold  to  the  house,  or  I 
should  have  written  before  now  just  to  say  how  sorry  I  am 
that  your  father  has  joined  the  great  majority — a  majority 
which,  sooner  or  later,  we  must  all  join. 

I  sincerely  sympathize  with  you  all  in  your  loss.  You 
are  to  be  envied  in  that  your  father  left  a  name  and  reputa- 
tion, both  in  a  business  way  and  otherwise,  which  must 
always  be  a  source  of  pride  to  his  descendants  and  a  stim- 
ulus to  them  to  attain  the  same  high  level. 

Yours  sincerely, 

E.  G.  KENNEDY. 

BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  CARNEGIE    INSTITUTE 
PITTSBURGH,  PENNSYLVANIA 

February  20,  I  9 14. 

I  am  just  in  receipt  of  the  announcement  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Theodore  Low  DeVinne.  I  regret  exceedingly  to  hear 
of  this  sad  event.   Mr.  DeVinne  has  stood  for  so  many 

[69: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

years  as  the  embodiment  of  all  that  is  artistic  and  perfect  in 
the  art  of  printing  that  his  death  will  be  a  very  great  loss. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

^  ^  ^  S.  H.  CHURCH, 

c^  Secretary. 

HENRY   LINDENMEYR   &   SONS 

PAPER  WAREHOUSES 

NEW  YORK 

February  20,  1 914- 

We  offer  our  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Theodore  L. 
DeVinne,  whose  genius  and  efforts  gave  to  America  the 
high  rank  it  holds  in  the  printing  art,  which  has  also  influ- 
enced to  such  a  great  degree  the  art  of  the  paper-maker. 

Mr.  De  Vinne's  well-rounded  and  active  life  sets  a  high 
example,  and  we  can  best  honor  his  memory  by  trying  to 
carry  out  his  ideals  of  beauty  and  simplicity  in  art. 

The  name  of  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  will  take  its  place 
with  the  greatest  printers  of  every  age  and  nation.  Let  us  be 
grateful  that  such  a  man  has  lived  among  us,  and  added 
honor  and  dignity  to  our  city  and  country. 

Respectfully, 

HENRY  LINDENMEYR  &  SONS. 

THE   PRINTING    MACHINERY   COMPANY 
CINCINNATI,  OHIO 

February  24,  I  9  14- 

It  is  with  profound  sorrow  that  we  learn  of  the  death  of 
Mr.  Theodore  Low  DeVinne. 

In  every  line  of  endeavor  there  arises  at  some  time  one 
man  so  big,  so  broad,  so  progressive  in  his  practical  self,  so 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

kindly,  helpful,  and  loving  in  his  personal  self,  as  to  stand 
out  above  his  fellows.  Such  a  man  was  Mr.  DeVinne. 
Happy  you  can  be  in  the  thought  that  his  memory  will  ever 
live  in  the  hearts  of  his  fellow-craftsmen,  and  the  results  of 
his  efforts  and  work  will  be  a  standard  to  which  the  crafts 
will  aspire  for  generations  to  come. 

Very  truly  yours, 

THE  PRINTING  MACHINERY  COMPANY, 

Fred  H.  BEROLD,  President. 

DIOCESAN    HOUSE 

416  LAFAYETTE  STREET 

NEW  YORK 

March  2,  19  M. 

I  have  been  grieved  to  hear  the  sorrowful  tidings  of  your 
great  bereavement.  I  love  to  think  that  it  has  been  my  privi- 
lege to  know  your  dear  father,  and  that  his  life,  of  such  noble 
and  conspicuous  usefulness,  has  been  so  long  spared  to  his 
friends,  and  to  his  family,  and  to  this  community.  Surely 
no  one  who  has  ever  known  him  can  fail  to  cherish  his 

^*  V^i'y  sincerely  yours, 

GEO.  F.  NELSON. 

The  Working  Girls^  Vacation  Society  extends  its  most  sin- 
cere sympathy  to  The  DeVinne  Press  in  its  deep  sorrow  in 
the  loss  of  its  honored  president,  Theodore  Low  DeVinne, 
on  Monday,  February  16,  I  9 14. 


vn 


THEODORE  LOW  DE  VINNE 

MOUNT  PLEASANT  PRESS 
HARRISBURG,   PENNSYLVANIA 

March  4,  1 914. 

It  was  in  my  absence  in  the  South  during  the  past  several 
weeks  that  the  announcement  came  of  the  death  of  Mr. 
DeVinne,  the  dean  of  American  printers,  and  undoubtedly 
the  first  master  printer  of  the  world  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

It  has  not  been  my  good  fortune  to  have  had  much  direct 
personal  intercourse  with  Mr.  DeVinne.  I  have  had  the 
honor  of  corresponding  with  him,  and  in  a  singular  fashion 
he  has  afforded  me  aid  and  inspiration  which  have  had  much 
to  do  with  whatever  I  have  accomplished  in  the  great  art- 
industry  to  which  he  devoted  his  notable  life. 

It  was  on  January  16,  I  90 1,  that,  in  answer  to  a  letter, 
he  wrote  me  the  following  words : 

**I  shall  not  live  to  see  it,  but  I  hope  the  time  will  come 
when  the  making  of  a  good  book,  from  the  mechanicarpoint 
of  view,  will  be  regarded  as  an  achievement  quite  as  worthy 
as  the  painting  of  a  good  picture,  or  the  building  of  a  fine 
house." 

I  have  presented  these  words  to  many  thousands  of  peo- 
ple, and  have  lived  to  see  a  change  at  last  beginning  in  the 
estimation  in  which  the  printer  is  held.  Mr.  DeVinne  had 
the  satisfaction  before  he  died  of  knowing  that,  because  of 
his  good  work  and  his  interest  in  the  education  of  printers, 
his  art  had  been  recognized  in  a  great  educational  institu- 
tion, and  printing  taught,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 

the  world,  in  a  university.      ^  , 

'  "^        Yours  truly, 

J.  HORACE  McFARLAND. 
[72] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

Pou^hkeepsie,  March  9,  I914. 

I  regret  that  my  present  physical  indisposition  should 
render  it  impossible  for  me  to  attend  the  memorial  meeting 
to  our  dear  friend,  Mr.  DeVinne,  since  it  would  be  a  grati- 
fication not  only  to  hear  what  might  be  said  by  such  gen- 
tlemen as  Mr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Drake,  whose  letters  of 
appreciation,  appearing  in  the  ** Tribune"  and  **  Evening 
Post,"  recalled  vividly  to  my  mind  the  days  when  I  knew 
him  in  his  prime,  but  to  add  however  slight  a  word  in  ac- 
knowledgment of  my  indebtedness  to  him;  for  he  gave 
always  much  encouragement,  and  his  honest,  simple  bear- 
ing and  generous,  manly,  virile  qualities  impressed  me 
from  the  beginning,  and  have  inspired  and  will  always  in- 
spire in  me  sentiments  of  the  profoundest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. Thus  it  has  been  with  all  who  came  in  frequent 
contact  with  him,  and  in  whose  memory  he  now  lives  a  sec- 
ond time,  and  to  whom  it  is  consolation  to  reflect  that  he 
lived  so  ample  and  helpful  a  life,  rounded  with  the  kind 
thoughts  of  all  who  knew  him. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

TIMOTHY  COLE. 

THE  CHISWICK   PRESS 
LONDON,  E.  C. 

9  March,  1 914- 
I  need  hardly  say  how  grieved  I  was  to  learn  of  the  death 
of  your  dear  and  respected  father.  I  had  two  letters  from 
him  recently,  which  came  after  a  long  interval,  and  he  ex- 
plained to  me  that,  apart  from  other  things,  his  sight  had 
practically  failed  him. 

1:73: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

I  be^  that  you  will  accept  from  me,  on  behalf  of  The 
Chiswick  Press,  our  profound  sympathy  for  your  loss,  and 
be^  that  you  will  convey  that  sentiment  to  the  rest  of  the 
family.  His  work  generally  for  printing  will  stand  out  for 
all  time.  I  always  appreciated  very  much  his  esteem  for  the 
work  of  The  Chiswick  Press,  especially  that  during  the 
William  Pickering  period. 

Yours  faithfully, 

CHAS.  T.  JACOBI. 

SCHRIFTGIESSEREI    GENZSCH   &    HEYSE 
HAMBURG 

March  10,  1 914- 

We  have  received  with  sincere  sorrow  the  news  of  the 
death  of  Mr.  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  and  wish  to  express 
our  heartfelt  sympathy.  Not  only  The  DeVinne  Press,  but 
the  whole  printing  world,  suffers  in  the  loss  of  this  distin- 
guished man.    We  wish  to  pay  this  tribute  to  his  honored 

^'  Most  respectfully, 

GENZSCH  &  HEYSE, 

Type-founders. 

Stuttgart,  Germany. 

It  is  with  deep  affliction  that  1  have  learned  the  news  of 
the  death  of  your  dear  father,  my  old  respected  friend, 
Theodore  L.  DeVinne.  I  had  always  cherished  the  hope 
of  making  his  personal  acquaintance  when  coming  to  Eu- 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

rope,  but  what  has  not  been  effected  here  below  may  per- 
haps shortly  be  so  in  the  other  world,  for  I  am  completing 
to-morrow  my  eighty-fifth  year. 

With  feelings  of  serious  ^rief,  I  am,  dear  sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

THEODOR  GOEBEL.^ 


dtb 


MAGAZINE  AND  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLES 

On  the  sixteenth  of  February,  Theodore  L.  DeVinne 
died,  past  eighty-five,  filled  with  labor  and  years  and  honors. 
For  nearly  half  his  lifetime  he  had  been  the  printer  of  this 
magazine.  It  is  no  mere  compliment  to  say  that  the  eighty 
volumes  of  the  ** Century,'*  stretching  back  to  1873,  are  a 
lasting  monument  to  him,  and  at  the  same  time  they  affirm 
his  title  to  a  place  in  the  first  rank  of  his  craft.  In  the  final 
judgment  his  name  will  be  placed  in  the  company  of  Johan- 
nes Gutenberg,  Aldus  Manutius,  Christophe  Plantin,  Wil- 
liam Caxton,the  Elzevirs,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and  the  bril- 
liant throng  who  have  made  the  printing-press  a  leading 
factor  in  liberalizing  the  world  through  the  democracy  of 
letters  and  art. 

It  was  DeVinne's  great  achievement  to  lead  a  revolution 
in  printing  that  emancipated  the  pictorial  arts,  and  placed 
their  spiritual  message  before  the  eyes  of  the  eager  masses. 

^A  German  printer  and  writer  on  printing.  Of  his  "  Die  graphischen 
Kiinste  der  Gegenwart,"  Mr.  DeVinne  wrote,  in  a  letter  to  The  Grolier 
Club  :  "It  is  a  most  satisfactory  exhibit  of  the  progress  of  the  graphic  arts 
in  Germany." 

[75] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

No  event  within  the  craft  since  the  invention  of  movable 
type  has  produced  results  so  decisive  and  so  transforming. 
The  power-press  had  already  popularized  books  and  news- 
papers, but  half  its  promise  had  not  been  realized  before 
De  Vinne  made  it  the  means  of  spreading  the  most  delicate 
refinements  of  art.  His  resolute  mind  grasped  the  meaning 
of  a  new  demand  on  the  printer's  art,  and  found  the  means 
to  satisfy  it.  He  was  inspired,  and  even  spurred,  by  the  art 
aspirations  and  knowledge  of  the  editors,  whose  plans  he 
furthered,  and  by  the  liberality  of  the  publishers,  whose  con- 
fidence in  him  was  grandly  justified. 

With  all  his  force  of  character,  De  Vinne  was  the  least 
obtrusive  of  intellectual  and  sociable  men.  His  mind  was  so 
copious  that  if  he  had  possessed  the  slightest  vanity,  he 
might  easily  have  made  himself  a  distinguished  bore;  in  his 
perfect  amiability  he  was  an  easy  prey  to  the  cult,  and  could 
even  beguile  the  loiterer  with  the  thought  that  he  was  con- 
ferring a  favor;  but  whenever  /?e  was  the  seeker  of  an  inter- 
view, the  business  was  invariably  finished  before  the  other 
man  realized  that  it  was  half  over.  De  Vinne  was  distinctly 
a  *' popular"  man,  and  yet  the  word  does  not  quite  indicate 
the  deference  and  respect  that  his  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances showed  for  him  in  their  greetings.  In  a  wide  circle  of 
intellectual  and  social  fellowship,  he  made  only  a  modest 
use  of  the  recognition  of  his  personal  achievements,  and 
found  his  enjoyments  mainly  in  his  work  and  his  home  life. 

Of  his  honors,  De  Vinne  cared  most  for  the  title  of  Presi- 
dent of  The  De  Vinne  Press  and  the  reputation  of  its  achieve- 
ments, the  record  of  a  master  worker  in  printing  the  **Cen- 
tury  Magazine"  and  the  Century  Dictionary  for  wider 
circulation,  and  the  many  choice  and  varied  examples  of 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

the  art  for  The  Grolier  Club  and  other  book-loving  associa- 
tions, or  the  monumental  book  of  the  Bishop  Jade  Collec- 
tion; and  then  he  valued  the  confidence  reposed  in  him  by 
his  fellow  master-printers,  the  Typothetce ;  and  the  degrees 
conferred  by  Columbia  and  Yale.  A  record  so  nobly  made 
for  high  public  usefulness  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

The  Century f  May,  1 9 14. 
d(ft> 

Of  the  men  who  have  contributed  to  the  development  of 
the  processes  of  printing  during  thelast  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  none  is  more  worthy  of  the  intelligent  appreciation 
of  all  the  people  than  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne,  who,  in  the 
ripeness  of  a  worthy  life,  has  recently  passed  away.  His  ser- 
vice to  printing  covered  the  entire  period  of  its  modern  de- 
velopment, from  the  time  of  the  practical  utilization  of  rotary 
presses  to  the  introduction  and  perfection  of  machines  for 
setting  type. 

Mr.  De  Vinne's  theory  of  printing  would  now  be  regarded 
as  somewhat  too  conservative.  His  scheme  for  type  com- 
position was  thorough,  and  his  main  idea  was  to  produce  a 
readable  page.  He  attained  this  through  careful  handling 
of  accepted  forms  rather  than  through  innovations.  He  led 
the  way  in  the  development  of  presswork,  and  from  his  estab- 
lishment came  a  large  proportion  of  the  improvements  in 
method  and  practice  following  the  general  utilization  of 
the  cylinder  press. 

Mr.  DeVinne's  great  merit  was  that  he  promoted  his 
good  ideas.  He  was  not  content  with  being  a  good  printer, 
but  he  was  always  trying,  in  his  way,  to  make  other  printers 
good  printers.    He  was  an  evangelist  in  printing.    He  had 


THEODORE  LOW  DE  VINNE 

scarcely  become  settled  in  his  work  before  he  be^an  to  pub- 
lish books  about  printing,  and  gradually  the  list  became 
lon^  and  important.  He  was  a  writer  to  the  last.  He  fath- 
ered a  fine  library  of  works  relating  to  printing  and  allied 
arts,  and  he  was  acquainted  with  everything  that  happened 
anywhere  in  the  world  that  was  of  consequence  to  printing. 
It  was  his  especial  delight  to  show  his  fine  books  and  his- 
toric examples  of  the  printing  of  the  old  masters.  He  was 
very  kind  to  his  fellow-craftsmen,  taking  advantage  of  every 
opportunity  to  encourage  and  assist  them.  He  delighted  in 
helping  young  men  and  boys  who  were  entering  the  busi- 
ness, and  never  wearied  in  counseling  and  directing  them. 
He  was  generous  to  prodigality  with  his  great  store  of  know- 
ledge concerning  the  history  and  practice  of  printing.  He 
was  a  big-brained  and  big-hearted  man,  and  the  success  he 
achieved  was  much  more  than  the  success  he  made  of  his 
business — he  made  a  success  of  himself,  and  he  helped 
many  of  his  fellow-men  to  make  successes  of  themselves. 
Nothing  much  better  can  be  said  of  any  one,  when  the  time 
comes  that  he  must  lay  down  the  life  that  has  been  such  an 

opportunity  for  him. 

GEORGE  FRENCH, 

The  ^ialf  March  16,  19 14. 

J^ 

Mr.  DeVinne's  work  of  organization  among  employers 
was  unselfish  in  every  respect,  and  he  labored  faithfully  for 
the  uplift  of  the  industry.  Appreciation  of  his  efforts  by  his 
fellow-craftsmen  came  many  times  during  his  lifetime,  and 
among  the  noted  occasions  were  his  election  to  the  offices 
of  secretary  and  president  of  the  local  Typothetee,  and  also 

[78] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

to  the  office  of  president  of  the  United  Typothetae  of  Amer- 
ica at  its  first  session,  although  not  present  at  the  meeting. 

During  the  last  few  years  he  was  confined  to  his  house 
and  seldom  appeared  in  public;  this  did  not  prevent  his  ser- 
vices being  continued  and  advice  sought  and  given  on  every 
important  question  in  his  own  business  and  in  relation  to 
matters  of  vital  interest  to  the  art  of  printing.  He  was  a 
counselor  well  worthy  of  the  name.  Always  of  a  retiring 
disposition,  he  was  ever  ready  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to 
those  who  sought  his  advice  or  assistance. 

Perhaps  the  most  touching  incident  of  his  later  days  was 
the  appearance  of  his  office  associates  at  his  home  on  his 
eighty-sixth  birthday,  Christmas  Day,  1 9 1 4,  with  a  bouquet 
of  eighty-six  roses.  At  that  time  his  eyesight  had  grown  so 
dim  that  he  had  to  be  introduced  to  each  of  the  persons 
present. 

He  has  passed  to  his  reward  after  a  life  well  lived,  and 

has  left  a  place  that  no  one  can  fill. 

CHARLES  FRANCIS, 
The  /Imerican  cMonthly  'J^eview  of  Reviews f  April,  I9I4. 


<ift> 


The  newspaper  reports  of  the  death  of  Theodore  Low 
DeVinne  spoke  of  him  as  ''one  of  the  foremost  printers  of 
America.''  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Mr.  DeVinne  was  the  fore- 
most printer  of  America.  Benjamin  Franklin  will  probably 
always  be  known  as  the  most  famous  printer  this  country 
ever  produced,  but  his  fame  rests  principally  upon  his  emi- 
nence in  other  fields  of  endeavor.  M  r.  De  Vinne  devoted  his 
energies  to  no  calling  other  than  printing,  with  the  exception 

1:79] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

of  authorship,  but  it  was  authorship  which  dealt  only  with 
printing.  His  printed  books  take  high  rank  in  the  com- 
pany of  the  products  of  any  and  all  presses.  He  learned  how 
to  make  money  at  the  business  long  before  the  rules  as  we 
now  accept  them  were  established.  At  the  same  time  that 
he  was  giving  the  attention  to  the  business  that  made  it  suc- 
cessful, he  found  leisure  to  travel  and  also  to  write  the  books 
which  are  in  themselves  a  sufficient  monument  to  the  fame 
of  any  one  man.  .  .  .  When  it  came  to  the  selection  of  a 
man  to  represent  the  printing  trade  in  any  public  capacity, 
he  was  always  chosen.  A  notable  incident  was  the  banquet 
given  to  Prince  Henry  of  Prussia  on  his  visit,  some  years 
ago,  to  America,  by  the  one  hundred  *'  captains  of  industry." 
Mr.  DeVinne's  life  was  an  example  and  an  inspiration 
alike  to  young  and  old  who  have  to  do  with  printing.  He  ar- 
rived in  New  York,  a  youth  without  money  or  influence,  and 
soon  made  an  artistic  and  commercial  success.  Throughout 
his  whole  career  he  gave  freely  of  his  time  and  energy  for  the 
benefit  of  others, and  his  old  age, if  such  a  term  couldbe  ap- 
plied to  him,  furnishes  one  of  the  best  instances  of  sustained 
industry  of  which  history  contains  a  record. 

The  /Imerican  Printer;  March  and  April,  1 914. 


i3fe> 


With  the  death  of  Mr.  DeVinne  .  .  .  there  passed  away 
a  man  who,  for  over  half  a  century,  had  a  strong  influence 
on  American  printing.  Because  of  his  ability  as  a  business 
man,  his  skill  as  a  writer,  his  profound  scholarship,  his  ar- 
tistic judgment,  but  perhaps  chiefly  because  he  gave  so 
abundantly  of  his  time  and  knowledge  to  further  the  welfare 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

of  the  craft,  posterity  will  doubtless  give  him  an  even  higher 
rank  than  he  achieved  during  his  lifetime. 

He  was  rightly  considered  the  Nestor  of  American  print- 
ers. Few  men  living  to-day  can  look  back  to  such  a  long  pe- 
riod of  activity  in  the  craft.  Starting  to  master  the  printer's 
trade  at  Newburgh,  New  York,  in  1 842,  in  1850  he  was  fore- 
man of  a  New  York  office  in  which  he  afterward  became  a 
partner,  eventually  the  chief  owner,  and  which  he  later  made 
famous  throughout  the  world. 

Mr.  De  Vinne's  most  lasting  fame  rests,  however,  on  his 
contributions  to  the  literature  of  printing.  He  handled  with 
equal  facility  its  historical,  artistic,  and  practical  phases. 
Gifted  with  a  graceful  and  lucid  style  of  writing,  and  with  a 
profound  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the  subject,  his  books 
and  articles  have  become  standard  works.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  of  the  four  volumes  making  up  **  The  Prac- 
tice of  Typography"  series.  These  books  cover  the  sub- 
ject in  a  very  comprehensive  manner,  and  are  of  the  greatest 
value.  Of  his  historical  works,  ''The  Invention  of  Printing '' 
and  ''Notable  Printers  of  Italy  during  the  Fifteenth  Century  " 
evince  his  ripest  scholarship. 

The  Printing /I  rtf  March  J  1914. 


t^ 


Mr.  DeVinne,  to  a  very  great  extent,  revolutionized  the 
printing  and  allied  arts,  through  his  good  work  in  various 
directions.  He  was  also  the  originator  of  the  standard 
DeVinne  series  of  type  faces. 

He  was  a  highly  honored  member  of  the  foremost  insti- 
tutions and  societies  dealing  with  the  art  of  printing,  and  is 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

conceded  to  be  an  authority  alon^  those  lines.  He  was  the 
first  man  to  print  on  dry  paper,  as  well  as  the  first  to  use 
coated  paper  for  illustrations. 

'Boktryk  {Kristiania,  Norway)^  March,  1 914. 


c^ 


De  Vinne  followed  the  technical  development  of  the  trade 
with  a  watchful  eye,  and  spared  neither  effort  nor  expense 
in  introducing  practical  improvements.  Throughout  all  his 
career  type-setting  machines  interested  him  little;  to  him 
they  seemed  but  a  necessary  evil,  useful  merely  for  rapidity 
in  composition,  but  never  to  be  employed  on  thorough  and 
correct,  much  less  on  artistic,  typography.  The  use  of  ma- 
chines for  his  pet  hobby,  book-lovers'  editions,  was  indeed 
distasteful  to  him;  here  he  gave  free  rein  to  his  marvel- 
ous taste,  ripened  by  constant  study  of  the  old  masters.  And 
it  is  mainly  to  these  artistic  creations  that  he  owes  his  fame 
as  America's  foremost  printer.  He  applied  his  ability  more 
to  dignified  products  of  simple  beauty  than  to  elaborate  and 
costly  ones. 

De  Vinne  was  a  mighty  master  of  the  pen.  His  early  liter- 
ary effort,  published  in  1869,  entitled  ''  The  Printers'  Price 
List,"  is  still  the  best  authority  on  the  fundamentals  of  the 
cost-finding  system.  His  "  Invention  of  Printing,"  of  which 
the  first  issue  appeared  in  I  876,  the  second  in  1 878,  became 
very  popular  with  Germany's  printerdom.  It  clearly  refutes 
the  unfounded  claims  of  Laurens  Coster  as  the  true  inventor 

of  printing. 

O.  W.  FUHRMANN, 
The  German  'Printer  and  Lithographer. 

L823 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

Persons  familiar  with  the  history  of  American  printing, 
and  especially  its  development  in  the  last  thirty  or  forty 
years,  linked  to-day  the  name  of  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne, 
who  died  here  yesterday  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  with  those 
of  Gutenberg,  Aldus,  Caxton,  Plantin,  and  our  own  Benja- 
min Franklin,  in  discussing  his  contribution  to  the  art  of 
modern  printing.  It  was  De  Vinne's  skill,  they  pointed  out, 
that  really  gave  rise  to  the  illustrated  magazine  in  this  coun- 
try, many  years  before  lithography  made  illustration  so 
simple  that  almost  any  one  could  get  out  a  periodical  with 
pictures. 

It  was  not  with  the  lithograph,  but  the  woodcut,  that  he 
achieved  results  that  many  a  printer  had  said  were  impos- 
sible; and  although  his  work  in  other  branches  of  printing 
was  of  equal  importance  and  merit,  no  single  achievement 
may  be  said  to  surpass  that  of  popularizing  the  wood-en- 
graver's difficult  art.  What  had  been  reserved  for  but  a  few 
to  gaze  upon  was  spread  broadcast  through  DeVinne's  won- 
derful skill. 

When  De  Vinne  came  to  New  York,  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury ago,  fine  printing  was  a  rarity.  There  was  a  firm  belief 
among  printers  here — and  in  England,  too — that  really  good 
work  could  be  turned  out  only  on  band-presses,  and  that 
they  had  reached  the  highest  possible  perfection  in  the  ma- 
terials, machinery,  and  methods  then  available  for  quick 
work.  What  few  magazines  there  were,  were  turned  out 
with  not  much  care  for  typographical  appearance,  and  the 
illustrations  were  of  the  roughest  sort. 

The  printers  simply  made  up  their  minds  that  it  was 
folly  to  try  to  print  wood-block  engravings  properly  on  cyl- 
inder presses,  and  their  results  were  so  shabby-looking  that 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

artists  were  discouraged  and  failed  to  use  their  best  efforts 
in  this  field.  If  you  wanted  a  good  wood-engraving  you  paid 
high  for  one  of  a  very  few  copies  struck  off  by  hand. 

But  Dc  Vinne  did  not  share  the  opinion  that  good  illus- 
trations could  not  be  reproduced  for  magazine  purposes  at 
comparatively  moderate  cost.  When  first  impressions  of 
woodcuts  failed  to  please  him,  he  would  spend  days — 
weeks,  if  necessary — adjusting  what  are  called  the  ''over- 
lays," in  order  to  get  the  right  effect.  The  difficulty,  of 
course,  came  in  transferring  the  original  engraving  from  a 
flat  surface  to  a  curved  metal  plate  for  the  press. 

With  the  machinery  then  at  his  disposal,  it  was  the  work 
of  many  days,  often,  to  get  the  full  tone  of  the  original  from 
the  curved  plate.  It  meant  experimenting  with  "overlays" 
of  many  kinds  until  the  right  combination  could  be  found. 
It  meant,  also,  changes  in  the  method  of  handling  the  paper, 
and  changes  even  in  the  ink  itself,  and  at  each  innovation 
old  pressmen  shook  their  heads  and  said  the  thing  could  not 
be  done.  But  De Vinne  did  it,  and  in  1872,  when  the  first 
copy  of  "  St.  Nicholas"  came  from  his  press,  it  was  her- 
alded as  the  best-printed  magazine  in  this  country. 

The  New  York  Evening ^ost,  February  17,  I9I4. 


cJ(b 


Editors,  authors,  publishers,  engravers  and  printers  at- 
tended the  funeral  of  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne  from  his  late 
home,  300  West  Seventy-sixth  Street,  yesterday  morning. 
These  men,  who  knew  Mr.  De  Vinne  and  the  great  work 
he  did  for  typography  in  this  country,  joined  the  great  print- 
er's intimate  friends  in  paying  tribute  to  his  genius. 

[84] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

**  This  community  has  seldom  been  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  a  more  remarkable  man,"  said  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Robert  McKenzie.  **  His  name  and  his  work  will  last  as  long 
as  the  city  continues.'' 

The  pall-bearers  wereW.W.  Ellsworth,  president  of  The 
Century  Co. ;  A.  W.  Drake,  formerly  art  manager  of  The 
Century  Co.;  E.  G.  Kennedy,  president  of  The  Grolier 
Club ;  Beverly  Chew,  former  president  of  The  Grolier  Club ; 
William  Green  and  Robert  Schalkenbach,  of  the  Typoth- 
etce  of  New  York,  and  J.  W.  Bothwell,of  the  DeVinne  Press. 

The  New  York  Sun,  February  20,  1 9 14. 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Times  : 

Will  you  permit  me  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  late  Theodore 
L.  DeVinne  from  the  point  of  view  of  one  who  has  worked 
by  his  side  through  several  decades? 

As  a  fellow  founder  of  The  Grolier  Club  and  as  an  active 
member  of  its  Committee  on  Publications  during  ten  of  the 
years  when  the  now  celebrated  publications  of  the  Club  were 
printed  at  The  DeVinne  Press,  the  writer  had  an  opportunity 
to  appreciate  the  skill  and  the  artistic  conscience  of  this 
great  master  printer.  If  the  slightest  improvement  could  be 
secured  in  the  workmanship  of  a  book,  he  would  make  any 
sacrifice  of  time  and  money  to  secure  it. 

The  very  first  of  The  Grolier  Club  publications,  which  is 
now  a  great  rarity,  namely,  **A  Decree  of  Star  Chamber 
Concerning  Early  Printing,"was  not  only  the  product  of  the 
celebrated  DeVinne  plant,  but  was  actually  suggested  by 
DeVinne  himself,  who  was  undoubtedly  the  most  scholarly 
modern  historian  of  his  art.    He  was  eagerly  sought  by 

[1853 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

nearly  all  the  leading  publishers  whenever  a  book  of  special 
beauty  was  on  the  ways.  Nor  was  it  only  in  the  exquisite 
Grolier  books  and  many  other  handsome  volumes  of  limited 
editions  that  he  excelled.  He  lavished  the  same  care  upon 
the  ''Century"  and  **St.  Nicholas"  magazines,  and  later 
upon  the  Century  Dictionary,  all  of  which,  running  into 
large  editions,  offered  very  different  problems  from  editions 
de  luxe. 

The  limited  edition  on  hand-made  paper  is  frequently 
printed  ''four  up";  a  magazine  is  usually  printed  sixty-four 
pages  at  once.  Many  a  time  I  have  seen  Mr.  De  Vinne  have 
a  press  "stripped"  and  keep  it  idle  for  a  day  or  so  while 
new  overlays  were  being  cut,  all  this  to  secure  the  best  pos- 
sible touch  of  excellence  in  the  printing  of  illustrations.  We 
would  shake  our  heads  over  some  slightly  unsatisfactory 
form,  and  then  the  conversation  would  usually  end  this  way : 
"  Well,  after  all,  we  are  here  to  get  quality,  are  n't  we?" 

And  De  Vinne  would  answer,  "You  're  right;  have  that 
press  stripped,  Hamilton!"  Sometimes  the  ink  would  be 
too  "stiff,"  and  De  Vinne  would  try  a  half-dozen  different 
inks  before  he  was  satisfied.  It  is  easily  imagined  how 
costly  this  kind  of  conscientiousness  was.  Not  in  the  long 
run,  however,  for  it  was  just  this  minute  care  that  built  up 
the  reputation  of  De  Vinne  and  the  magazines  he  printed. 
De  Vinne  was  appreciative  of  every  reasonable  suggestion, 
and  always  willing  to  try  experiments.  It  was  his  demand 
for  and  use  of  glazed  paper  that  had  much  to  do  with  the 
introduction  of  this  kind  of  surface  that  has  meant  so  much 
to  reproductive  processes.  When  the  half-tone  appeared  he 
was  among  the  first  to  embrace  it  and  bring  it  to  the  high- 
est state  of  perfection. 

[86] 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

His  handling  of  his  men  was  a  model  for  employers.  I 
have  often  seen  him  encourage  an  overlay  man,  saying,  ^*  I 
see  you  've  ^ot  your  blacks  up  nicely.  Could  n't  you  take  up 
that  sky  a  little?   It  seems  to  be  slightly  broken." 

I  remember  one  case  where  a  workman  had  made  several 
mistakes  on  consecutive  days,  and,  worst  of  all,  the  mistakes 
had  actually  got  into  print.  DeVinne  sent  for  the  culprit, 
and  with  great  indignation  told  him  that  he  would  not  need 
his  services  any  longer.  The  man  did  not  go  out  promptly, 
and  De  Vinne  looked  up  and  found  the  employee's  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  He  explained  that  he  had  not  been  in  bed  for 
three  days  and  nights,  having  worked  all  day  at  the  print- 
ing-office, and  having  attended  his  sick  wife  through  each 
night.  Knowing  the  man's  integrity,  DeVinne  promptly  re- 
versed his  decision  and  told  him  to  draw  his  pay  for  a  week 
in  advance  and  go  home  and  look  after  his  wife. 

It  was  many  kindnesses  like  this  that  won  wide-spread 
affection  for  this  high-minded,  unselfish  master  of  his  craft. 
It  is  a  keen  personal  satisfaction  for  one  who  was  associated 
with  him  for  more  than  fifty  years  to  submit  this  brief 
testimony.  A.  W.  DRAKE, 

The  New  York  Times ^  February  22,  1 9 14. 


c^ 


To  the  Editor  of  The  Times : 

I  should  like  to  add  a  word  to  Mr.  Drake's  appreciation 
of  Mr.  DeVinne  on  behalf  of  the  thousands  of  printers,  pub- 
lishers, and  editors  who,  while  not  having  known  him  per- 
sonally, are  profiting  by  his  conscientious  hard  work  in  the 
direction  of  elevating  the  art  preservative. 

[87] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

What  might  be  called  the  DeVinne  influence  can  be 
traced  in  the  pages  of  any  type-founder's  specimen-book,  in 
the  output  of  the  best  paper-mills,  the  quality  of  printing- 
inks,  the  mathematical  accuracy  of  presses,  the  overlay  of 
vignetted  half-tones,  the  perfect  duplication  of  electrotypes, 
and  a  score  of  other  details  of  perfection.  Improvement  in 
any  branch  has  required  that  it  be  paralleled  in  some  other, 
and  gradually  the  whole  lump  has  been  leavened.  Imagine 
the  elimination  to-day  of  everything  in  the  quality  of  printing, 
engraving,  and  bookbinding  which  is  due  directly  or  indi- 
rectly to  the  example  and  precept  of  this  master  artist- 
printer,  and  there  would  be  little  left  to  combat  the  freak 
typography  of  the  sensational  newspapers  and  too  many 
of  the  magazines,  and  even  of  books  having  some  claim 
to  recognition  as  literature. 

Mr.  DeVinne  has  built  his  own  monument  in  the  momen- 
tum which  the  printer's  and  allied  arts  have  acquired  in 
maintaining  high  ideals,  using  the  name  of  De  Vinne  as  their 
basis  of  measurement.  EDWARD  ST.  JOHN, 

The  New  York  Times,  February  23,  1 91 4. 


Jfc 


Comparatively  few  persons  ever  stop  to  think  of  a  type 
face  as  a  work  of  art.  Type  faces  are  read,  and  nothing  more 
is  thought  of  them.  The  type  is  large  or  small  and  easily 
read  or  otherwise.  That  is  the  only  view  we  take  of  the 
value  of  a  given  type  face.  Printed  matter  is  so  cheap  and 
so  general,  what  with  newspapers  and  libraries  sown  broad- 
cast over  the  land,  that  few  persons  give  a  thought  to  the 
beauty  or  lack  of  beauty  in  the  type.    As  for  a  man  who 

ess: 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

could  love  type  faces  as  one  would  paintings,  and  delight  in 
fashioning  beautiful  ones — well,  he  must  be  a  queer  dick. 
That  's  just  a  foundry-man's  job,  in  the  general  opinion. 

New  York  has  such  men,  however,  and  the  chief  died 
the  other  day.  His  name  was  Theodore  Low  DeVinne, 
whose  name  has  been  linked  with  those  of  the  historic 
printers  of  the  past, —  Caxton,  Aldus,  and  the  others, — 
who  made  of  typography  an  art. 

One  of  his  ideals  was  that  type  should  be  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  no  one  would  become  tired  from  reading  it.  He 
once  took  a  tilt  in  type  at  those  who,  in  his  opinion,  were 
debasers  of  faces.  It  was  in  the  **  Liber  Scriptorum,"  a  vol- 
ume of  signed  articles  by  famous  American  authors,  ar- 
ranged by  the  Authors'  Club  a  score  of  years  ago,  that  he 
rode  forth  with  his  lance. 

**  Do  You  Know  Your  Letters?"  was  the  caption  he  gave 
it.  '* This  was  the  question,"  he  began,  ''given  to  me  nearly 
sixty  years  ago  by  the  teacher,  when  for  the  first  time  I  went 
to  her  child's  school.  My  answer  was  prompt  and  confi- 
dent. 'Yes,  ma'am,  I  know  the  big  letters  and  the  little  let- 
ters, and  I  can  read  a  little.' 

**  If  the  question  were  asked  now  I  should  not  answer  so 
confidently.  My  lifelong  business  has  been  the  combining 
of  letters  in  the  form  of  types,  either  by  my  own  hands  or  by 
proxy.  I  have  read  books  on  writing  and  letters;  I  have 
some  familiarity  with  the  types  used  by  famous  printers;  I 
have  examined  facsimiles  and  some  originals  of  notable 
manuscripts;  I  am  a  close  observer  and  student  of  the  new 
styles  made  by  type-founders  here  and  abroad.  I  should 
know  all  the  letters,  but  I  have  to  confess  that  I  stumble 
often  over  mysterious  characters  that  I  have  never  seen  be- 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

fore,  and  hope  never  to  see  again.   Paul  I  know,  and  Cephas 
I  know,  but  who  are  ye?" 

The  New  York  Tribunef  February  22,  1 9 14. 


dUb 


In  every  period  of  the  honorable  and  ancient  art  of  print- 
ing there  is  likely  to  be  one  figure  which  stands  out  as  the 
appreciator  and  the  teacher  of  appreciation  of  the  beauty  of 
the  printed  page — the  artist  workman  who  conceives  the 
fashioning  of  a  book  or  a  periodical  as  a  fine  art.  This  was 
the  position  of  the  late  Theodore  Low  DeVinne,  whose 
work  has  meant  more  to  the  art  of  printing  than  that  of  any 
other  American  of  his  generation.  He  was  both  an  innovator 
and  a  developer  of  other  men's  beginnings.  He  was  both  a 
conservative  and  a  radical,  combining  these  two  qualities  in  a 
most  valuable  manner.  His  work  began  in  a  period  when 
thinness  of  line  was  considered  a  virtue  in  American  print- 
ing, just  as  the  goose-quill  and  the  fine-pointed  pen  had  in- 
culcated a  style  of  hair-line  penmanship  which  was  not 
without  its  influence  on  the  printed  page.  The  series  of 
types  which  are  now  identified  with  his  name  are  a  definite 
reaction  and  protest  against  the  slender  line,  yet  they  are  ret- 
icent in  design.  Their  direct  appeal  to  the  eye  is  made  by 
a  solidity  and  a  simplicity  which  distinguish  them  from  the 
older  forms.  Even  the  italics  partake  of  these  same  quali- 
ties, and  their  value  is  attested  by  their  now  general  use. 
Many  a  layman  who  does  not  know  one  face  of  type  from 
another  has  chosen  the  DeVinne  series  from  instinctive 
preference  of  their  common-sense  qualities,  without  realiz- 
ing that  these  qualities  are  properties  of  artistry  as   well. 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

Something  in  the  aspect  of  the  scholarly  head  in  its  Wag- 
nerian cap,  as  presented  in  the  etching  of  Mr.  DeVinne 
which  hangs  in  the  offices  of  his  colleagues  and  his  friends, 
recalls  the  fame  and  figure  of  some  medieval  printer  devoted 
to  his  art  and  determined  to  leave  the  printed  page  a  more 
worthy  recording-place  for  thought  than  he  found  it. 

The  'Boston  Transcript ^  February  18,  1 9 14. 


<Jfc 


In  characterizing  the  late  Theodore  Low  DeVinne  as 
printer  and  artist,  let  us  not  be  understood  as  implying  that 
be  followed  some  branch  of  art  as  an  extraneous  pursuit, 
independent  of  printing.  Mr.  De  Vinne  was  an  artist  because 
he  was  a  printer,  and  he  became  the  great  printer  he  was 
because  he  had  the  heart  and  soul  of  an  artist  and  a  remark- 
able executive  faculty  besides. 

It  is  a  mistaken  view  to  regard  Mr.  DeVinne  as  hav- 
ing been  a  survival  of  the  early  days  of  printing,  when  the 
line  between  mechanical  craftsmanship  and  art  profes- 
sionalism was  not  so  distinctly  drawn  as  now,  and  when 
some  books,  put  forth  in  the  infancy  of  printing,  had  such 
beauty  that  enthusiasts  have  occasionally  been  heard  to  re- 
mark that  the  technique  of  typography  has  not  improved 
since  the  days  of  Gutenberg  and  Fust. 

Those  who  thus  describe  Mr.  DeVinne,  and  those  who 
eulogize  ancient  typography  at  the  expense  of  modern,  for- 
get that  while  the  excellence  of  many  specimens  of  an- 
tique type  is  unquestionable,  the  problems  of  the  latter-day 
printer  are  enormously  more  complicated  than  those  of  the 
printer  in  the  sixteenth  century.   These  new  problems  have 

US': 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

been  met  by  marvelous  machines,  or  they  could  not  have 
been  met  at  all. 

But  the  vast  quantities  of  paper,  the  demands  of  an  im- 
mense reading  public,  and  the  prodigious  swiftness  of  the 
mechanical  processes  which  accompany  twentieth-century 
printing  were  unknown  to  the  fine  old  craftsmen  who  turned 
out  the  Venetian  and  German  editions  which  are  the  delight 
of  collectors  of  rare  books.  Those  printers  had  the  advan- 
tage of  living  in  a  leisurely  age,  when  a  man  had  time  to 
stop  and  think,  and  when  there  were  no  linotypes  and  power 
presses  to  leave  the  writer  breathless  in  his  race  to  furnish 
"copy." 

It  is  the  glory  of  Mr.  De  Vinne  that  he  was  able  to  make 
a  high  degree  of  artistic  perception  and  achievement  com- 
patible with  printing  on  a  large  scale  and  with  modern  ra- 
pidity. The  "Buffalo  Times,  February  22,  I9I4. 


c^ 


Theodore  Low  De  Vinne  has  been  a  leading  figure  in  the 
printing  world  for  nearly  half  a  century.  He  knew  the  liter- 
ature of  his  business  as  well  as  its  technical  and  mechanical 
sides.  He  learned  a  trade  and  elevated  it  to  a  profession. 
He  was  famous  for  the  fine  printing  he  did,  for  his  interest- 
ing and  learned  treatises  on  the  art,  and  for  his  collection  of 
early  and  unusual  books.  It  would  be  hazardous  to  say  what 
art  has  grown  the  most  in  fifty  years,  but  certainly  the  print- 
ing art  has  not  lagged  behind  others,  and  for  much  of  its 
progress  it  is  indebted  to  Mr.  De  Vinne. 

The  Philadelphia  Record,  February  18,  I9I4. 


INFORMAL  TRIBUTES 

Men  who  do  things,  men  who  elevate  their  callings,  and 
who,  through  close  application  and  study  combined  with 
creative  genius,  attract  the  attention  of  those  who  admire 
the  best  things  in  life,  are  those  who  get  the  most  out  of  life, 
and  who  give  most  pleasure  to  those  with  whom  they  come 
in  contact. 

These  thoughts  lead  us  to  the  consideration  of  the  life 
of  Theodore  L.  De  Vinne,  dean  of  the  printing  fraternity  of 
the  United  States,  who  has  just  died  in  New  York.  He  was 
eighty-six  years  old,  and  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life 
had  been  spent  in  bringing  to  perfection  the  art  of  printing. 
De  Vinne  was  a  type  connoisseur.  He  hated  unsightly  dis- 
play in  type  composition  and  he  detested  poor  printing.  This 
was  what  made  him  a  great  figure  in  the  art  of  reproduction 
by  type.  He  believed  in  the  use  of  type  faces  of  character. 
Mr.  DeVinne's  taste  inclined  to  what  he  called  *' mascu- 
line" printing — good  paper,  bold,  readable  types,  and  sim- 
ple composition,  strongly  printed  with  good  black  ink.  He 
had  little  sympathy  with  what  he  considered  the  *' femi- 
nine" or  ornamental  school  of  modern  typography.  While 
a  stickler  for  mechanical  skill,  profuse  decoration  had  his 
severe  condemnation. 

The  Savannah  'Press ,  February  18,  1 91 4. 


<J^ 


Theodore  L.  De  Vinne,  who  died  the  other  day  in  New 
York,  was  one  of  the  world's  great  craftsmen  and  scholars. 
He  was  the  author  of  a  number  of  books  on  the  art  of  print- 
ing, all  of  them  learned  and  conscientious,  while  his  expert- 
ness  in  the  printer's  craft  was  almost  unequaled. 

[193: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

He  established  harmony  amon^  the  workmen  of  his  print- 
ing-house, and  inspired  all  of  them  to  labor  for  those  hi^h 
ideals  which  lead  to  noble  products.  Artists,  engravers,  and 
pressmen  were  brought  together  to  the  manifest  improve- 
ment of  the  total  result.  He  fixed  standards  of  craftsman- 
ship which  will  survive  him  for  many  years,  and  perma- 
nently enhanced  the  beauty  of  his  art. 

The  'Portland  Oregonian,  February  25,  I9I4. 


1:943 


A  LIST  OF  THE  WRITINGS  OF 
THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 


THE  FIRST  LIST  OF  MR.  DEVINNE'S  WRITINGS  WAS 
COMPILED  BY  ALEXANDER  W.  COLLINS,  AND  PRINTED 
BY  HIM,  IN  THE  FORM  OF  A  BROADSIDE,  AS  A  CHRIST- 
MAS AND  BIRTHDAY  GIFT  TO  MR.  DEVINNE  IN  I9IO. 
THE  PRESENT  LIST  APPEARED  IN  THE  YEAR-BOOK  OF 
THE  GROLIER  CLUB  FOR  I9I4.  IT  WAS  COMPILED  BY 
MISS  RUTH  S.  GRANNISS,  AND  IS  REPRINTED  HERE 
WITH   THE   PERMISSION   OF  THE  CLUB 


BOOKS  WRITTEN  BY  MR.  DEVINNE 


The  Profits  of  Book  Composition.  .  .  .  New  York:  pub- 
lished by  the  Associated  Employing  Printers  of  New  York. 
,  .  .  1864. 

33  pp.     8vo. 

This  first  appeared  in  The  'Printer,  and  was  reprinted  in  pamphlet  form 
at  the  request  of  the  Master  Printers  of  New  York. 

II 

The  Printers'  Price  List.  A  Manual  for  the  Use  of  Clerks 
and  Bookkeepers  in  Job  Printing  Offices.  ...  New  York: 
Francis  Hart  and  Company.  .  .  .  1869. 

168  pp.  I2mo.  Interleaved  with  ruled  paper.  The  only  copy  which 
we  have  seen  contains  the  words  "  Proof  copy"  preceding  the  title. 

An  advertisement  in  The  Typographic  /Advertiser,  January,  1 870,  states  : 
"  The  edition  is  small,  the  book  has  not  been  stereotyped,  and  forms  have 
been  distributed." 

Second  Edition,  Enlarged.    New  York :  Francis 

Hart  and  Company.  ...  1 87 1. 

459  pp.,  8  leaves  of  advertisements.      I2mo. 


D^: 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

III 

The  State  of  the  Trade.  Observations  on  Eight  Hours  and 
Higher  Prices,  Suggested  by  Recent  Conferences  Between 
the  New  York  Typographical  Union  and  the  Employing 
Book  and  Job  Printers  of  that  City.  .  .  .  New  York:  Fran- 
cis Hart  &  Co.  .  .  .  1872. 

44  pp.     8vo. 

IV 

The  Invention  of  Printing.  A  Collection  of  Facts  and  Opin- 
ions Descriptive  of  Early  Prints  and  Playing  Cards,  the 
Block-Books  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  the  Legend  of  Lou- 
rens  Janszoon  Coster,  of  Haarlem,  and  the  Work  of  John 
Gutenberg  and  his  Associates.  Illustrated  with  Facsimiles 
of  Early  Types  and  Wood-Cuts.  .  .  .  New  York:  Francis 
Hart  and  Co.  .  .  .  1876. 

One  leaf,  556  pp.     Front.,  il.,  por.,  facsim.     8vo. 

A  prospectus  of  this,  inserted  in  The  Grolier  Club's  copy  of  the  sec- 
ond edition,  states  that  the  work  was  to  be  published  in  five  parts,  issued 
at  intervals  of  six  weeks,  at  the  price  of  $1.00  each. 

Second  Edition.    New  York:  Francis  Hart  and 

Co.  .  .  .  London:  Trubner  and  Company.  .  .  .  1878. 

One  leaf,  557  pp.     Front.,  il.,  por.,  facsim.    8vo. 
The  London  issue  seems  to  have  been  dated  1877. 
Also  issued  by  George  Bruce's  Son  &  Co.,  type-founders,  set  in  vari- 
ous types,  and  forming  part  of  their  Specimen  Books,  1878  and  1882. 

V 

Specimens  of  Historical  Printing  Types,  Printed  (but  not 
Published)  as  Illustrations  to  a  Discourse  by  Theodore  L. 
DeVinne,  Before  The  Grolier  Club,  January  28,  1883. 

Cover  title,  and  eight  leaves,  with  twenty-seven  type  facsimiles. 
Printed  for  distribution  among  the  audience  at  the  lecture  (see  next 
entry). 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

VI 

Historic  Printing  Types,  a  Lecture  Read  Before  The  Gro- 
lier  Club  of  New  York,  January  15,  1885,  with  Additions 
and  New  Illustrations.  .  .  .  New  York,  The  Grolier  Club, 
MDCCCLXXXVI. 

Five  leaves,  pp.  [9]-nO.     Facsim.    4to. 

Two  hundred  copies  printed  on  Holland  paper,  and  two  on  vellum. 

A  few  extra  copies,  printed  on  plain  paper  for  Mr.  De  Vinne's  personal 
use,  have  the  imprint  of  The  DeVinne  Press. 

An  abstract  of  the  lecture  is  given  in  the  Club's  "Transactions,"  Part 
I,  1885,  pp.  32-37. 

VII 

Christopher  Plantin  and  the  Plantin-Moretus  Museum  at 
Antwerp.  .  .  .  With  Illustrations  by  Joseph  Pennell,  and 
Others.    Printed  for  The  Grolier  Club,  New  York,  1888. 

98,  [I]  pp.,  il.,  pi.,  printed  in  tinted  inks.    8vo, 

Three  hundred  copies  printed  on  paper,  and  three  on  vellum. 

Reprinted  with  additions  and  notes  from  The  Century  for  June,  1888. 

VIII 

The  Practice  of  Typography.  A  Treatise  on  the  Processes 
of  Type-Making,  the  Point  System,  the  Names,  Sizes, 
Styles  and  Prices  of  Plain  Printing  Types.  .  .  .  New  York, 
The  Century  Co.,  1 900. 

403  pp.     I2mo. 

Second  Edition.   New  York,  The  Century  Co., 

1902. 

IX 

The  Practice  of  Typography.  Correct  Composition,  a 
Treatise  on  Spelling,  Abbreviations,  the  Compounding  and 
Division  of  Words,  the  Proper  Use  of  Figures  and  Nu- 
merals, Italic  and  Capital  Letters,  Notes,  etc.,  with  Obser- 

[99] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

vations  on  Punctuation  and  Proof- Reading.  .  .  .  New  York, 
The  Century  Co.,  1 90 1. 

X  pp.,  one  leaf,    pp.  5-476.     I2mo. 

Second  Edition.    New  York,  The  Century  Co., 

1902. 

Reissued  in  1904. 

X 

Title-Pa^es  as  Seen  by  a  Printer,  with  Numerous  Illustra- 
tions in  Facsimile,  and  Some  Observations  on  the  Early 
and  Recent  Printing  of  Books.  .  .  .  The  Grolier  Club  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  MCMI. 

xix,  [I],  370  pp.,  incl.  facsim.      I2mo. 

Three  hundred  and  twenty-five  copies  printed  (see  also  next  entry). 

XI 

The  Practice  of  Typography.  A  Treatise  on  Title-Pages, 
with  Numerous  Illustrations  in  Facsimile,  and  Some  Ob- 
servations on  the  Early  and  Recent  Printing  of  Books.  .  .  . 
New  York,  The  Century  Co.,  1902. 

Two  leaves,  vii-xx,  485  pp.,  incl.  facsim.     I2mo. 

"This  treatise  was  written  for  and  published  by  The  Grolier  Club  of 
the  City  of  New  York  in  February,  1 90 1  .  .  .  not  for  public  sale,  but 
exclusively  for  the  members  of  that  Club.  In  that  edition,  specially  pre- 
pared for  book-lovers,  the  practical  side  of  title-page  making  was  curtly 
treated.  To  make  this  edition  for  printers' use  more  acceptable,  the  part 
on  practice  has  been  rewritten  and  provided  with  illustrations  and  com- 
ments thereon  that  do  not  appear  in  the  Club  copies.  These  additions 
have  increased  the  number  of  pages." — Preface. 

XII 

The  Practice  of  Typography.  Modern  Methods  of  Book 
Composition,  a  Treatise  on  Type-Setting  by  Hand  and  by 
Machine,  and  on  the  Proper  Arrangement  and  Imposition 
of  Pages.  .  .  .  New  York,  The  Century  Co.,  I  904. 

xi  pp.,  one  leaf,  477  pp.,  incl.  facsim.      1 2mo. 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

XIII 

Notable  Printers  of  Italy  During  the  Fifteenth  Century, 
Illustrated  with  Facsimiles  from  Early  Editions  and  with 
Remarks  on  Early  and  Recent  Printing.  .  .  .  The  Grolier 
Club  of  the  City  of  New  York,  1 9  1 0. 

Two  leaves,  210  pp.,  incl.  facsim.     4to. 

Three  hundred  copies  printed  on  American  paper,  and  three  on  Impe- 
rial Japan  paper.  Ninety-seven  additional  copies  were  printed  for  Mr. 
De  Vinne's  personal  use,  and  have  the  imprint  of  The  De  Vinne  Press. 


BOOKS  TO  WHICH  MR.  DE  VINNE 
CONTRIBUTED 

XIV 

Prices  for  Printing  Adopted  by  the  Employing  Printers  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  in  Convention,  February  I  I,  1864. 

8vo.     24  pp.     Pamphlet. 

Mr.  De  Vinne  was  Secretary  of  the  Associated  Employing  Printers, 
and  seems  to  have  compiled  this  list,  which  is  the  result  of  various  meet- 
ings held  during  1862-3,  for  the  purpose  of  arriving  at  uniform  prices. 
On  p.  2  of  the  wrapper  is  the  following  "Special  Notice"  :  "The  authentic 
copies  of  the  Scale  of  Prices  are  bound  in  drab  covers,  and  contain 
the  names  of  the  Executive  Committee  on  the  last  page.  The  copies 
bound  in  brown  covers  are  Proof-Copies  which  were  printed  for  revision 
only,  when  the  Scale  was  under  consideration.  It  is  particularly  re- 
quested that  the  Proof-Copies  be  destroyed  as  many  of  the  prices  have 
been  changed.  .  .  ." 

XV 

Record  of  Proceedings  and  Ceremonies  Pertaining  to  the 

Erection  of  the  Franklin  Statue  in  Printing  House  Square, 

New  York,  Presented  by  Albert  de  Groot  to  the  Press  and 

Printers  of  the  City  of  New  York.     New  York,  1 872. 

Svo.     104  pp. 

Mr.  De  Vinne  was  on  the  Committee  and  compiled  the  Proceedings. 

Cioi] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

XVI 
The  Greeley  Monument;  Unveiled  at  Greenwood,  Decem- 
ber 4th,  1876.     New  York.     Francis  Hart  &  Co.,  1877. 

8vo.     34  pp. 

Compiled  by  Mr.  De  Vinne. 

XVII 

A  Decree  of  Star  Chamber  Concerning  Printing.    Made 

July  I  I,  1637.    Reprinted  by  The  Grolier  Club,  from  the 

First  Edition  by  Robert  Barker,  I  637.    [New  York,  1884.] 

8vo. 

The  first  publication  of  The  Grolier  Club.      Mr.  De  Vinne  prepared 
the  Preface  (six  pages). 

XVIII 

Grolier  Club.    Transactions  .  .  .  Parti.    New  York,  1885- 

4to. 

Mr.  De  Vinne's  Address,  "Historic  Printing  Types,"  pp.  32-37. 

XIX 

Brilliants.  A  Setting  of  Humorous  Poetry  in  Brilliant  Type. 
New  York,  1888. 

2X2}4  inches. 

A  miniature  book  compiled  by  Mr.  De  Vinne  and  set  in  brilliant  type. 
The  Preface,  upon  small  types  (pp.  vii-xv),  is  by  Mr.  De  Vinne. 

XX 

Columbia  Typographical  Union.    Year  Book.    Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  I89I. 

Mr.  De  Vinne  contributed  an  article  on  "The  Evolution  of  the  Book: 
Printing  Sixty  Years  Ago." 

XXI 

Authors'  Club,  New  York.   The  First  Book  of  the  Authors' 
Club,  Liber  Scriptorum.   New  York,  1893- 

Folio. 

"Do  You  Know  the  Letters?  By  Theodore  Low  De  Vinne, "pp.  [192]- 

199. 

[102] 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

XXII 

Depew,  Chauncey  Mitchell,  ^c/rYor.  I795-I895.  Onehun- 
dred  Years  of  American  Commerce.   New  York,  1 895. 

8vo.     2  vols. 

Mr.  De  Vinne  contributed  the  article  on  American  Printing,  vol.  I,  pp. 
314-319'     It  is  accompanied  by  his  portrait. 

XXIII 
Moxon,  Joseph.  Moxon's  Mechanick  Exercises;  or,  The 
Doctrine  of  Handy-Works  Applied  to  the  Art  of  Printing; 
A  Literal  Reprint  ...  of  the  First  Edition  Published  in 
.  .  .  I  683,  with  a  preface  and  notes  by  Theo.  L.  De  Vinne. 
New  York.  The  Typothetae  of  the  City  of  New  York,  1896. 

4to.     2  vols. 

Preface  and  Notes,  vol.  I,  pp.  ix-xviii,  vol.  II,  pp.  399-430, 

XXIV 

The  Nineteenth  Century,   a  Review  of  Progress.     New 
York,  1 90 1. 

8vo. 

Mr.  De  Vinne  contributed  an  article  on  "Printing  in  the  Nineteenth 
Century,"  pp.  387-400. 

It  first  appeared  in  The  New  York  Evening  ^ost,  January  12,  1 90 1. 

XXV 
Editorials  and  Resolutions  in  Memory  of  Samuel  Putnam 
Avery.    New  York.    Privately  Printed,  M  CM  V. 

8vo. 

"Samuel  Putnam  Avery. — By  Theodore  L.  De  Vinne,"  pp.  69-76. 
The  article  first  appeared  in  The  New  York  Genealogical  and  bio- 
graphical 'J^ecordf  January,  1905. 

XXVI 
Grolier  Club.    Officers,  Committees,  Constitution    .    .    . 
Annual  Reports,  etc.   New  York,  [l  905-1 906]. 

l6mo. 

Mr.  DeVinne's  Addresses  as  President  of  the  Club  are  on  pp.  79-86, 
1905,  and  79-87,  I9O6. 

1:1033 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

XXVII 

Hitchcock,  Frederick  H.,  Editor.  The  Building  of  a  Book, 
a  Series  of  Practical  Articles  Written  by  Experts  .  .  . 
with  an  Introduction  by  Theodore  L.  De  Vinne.  New  York, 
[c.  I  906]. 

8vo. 

Introduction,  pp.  1-3. 


The  Linotype  as  I  Have  Found  It.     [New  York,  c.  1 909-] 
Broadside. 

A  testimonial  letter  from  Mr.  De  Vinne  to  the  Mergenthaler  Linotype 
Company. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  BY  MR.  DEVINNE 
TO  PERIODICALS 

A  Portrait  and  a  History.  (In:  The  <Printers^  Miscellany. 
New  York,  April,  1859,  2)^  pp.) 

[Article  on  Scotch  Face  Type,  without  title.]  (In:  The 
^rinters^  iMiscellany.   New  York,  July,  1859,  4  pp-) 

Although  this  and  the  foregoing  article  are  unsigned,  they  were  evi- 
dently written  by  Mr.  De  Vinne  at  about  the  time  that  he  was  made  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Francis  Hart  and  Company,  who  published  The 
Printers'  cMiscellany. 

Associated  Employing  Printers  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
Report  of  the  Committee  on  the  Apprenticeship  System. 
[Signed  by  C.  A.  Alvord,  P.  C.  Baker,  John  F.  Trow,  Theo. 
L.  De  Vinne.]  (In:  The  Printer.  New  York,  June,  1863, 
vol.  IV,  pp.  166-7.) 

The  Report  makes  up  the  greater  part  of  an  article  with  the  title 
"Work  for  the  Several  Unions.     The  Apprentice  System." 

i:'043 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

The  Profits  of  Book  Composition.  (In:  The 'Printer.  New 
York,  January,  1864,  vol.  V,  pp.  38-40.) 

A  letter  to  the  editor  of  The  'Printerf  signed  "  Brevier,"  and  dated  De- 
cember 12,  1863.  It  was  reprinted  as  a  pamphlet  at  the  request  of  the 
Master  Printers  of  New  York.     (See  our  No.  I.) 

MedicEval  Printing:  The  substance  of  a  paper  read  before 
the  New  York  Typographical  Society,  February  20,  1864. 
(In:    ThePrinter,   New  York,  April,  1 864,  vol.  V,  pp.  65-7.) 

Our  Fathers  in  the  Art:  They  builded  wiser  than  they 
knew;  they  founded  an  order  that  will  be  honored  when 
the  claims  of  noble  birth  shall  be  forgotten.  (In:  The 
Printer,   New  York,  April,  1864,  vol.  V,  pp.  68-9.) 

Immediately  below  the  toast  given  above  occur  the  words,  "Mr. 
Theodore  L.  DeVinne  (of  the  firm  of  Francis  Hart  &  Co.)  responded 
in  the  following  very  interesting  remarks."  (2000  words.) 

Fust  and  Gutenberg.  (In:  The  Printer.  New  York,  Au- 
gust, I  864,  vol.  V,  p.  I  18.) 

The  Strike,  from  an  Employer's  Point  of  View.  (In:  The 
Printer.    New  York,  September,  1864,  vol.  V,  pp.  136-7.) 

The  article  is  signed  "  Brevier"  and  dated  August  25,  1864. 

Trade  Unions.     **  Strike!  but  hear."     (In:     The  Printer. 

New  York,   October— December,  1864,  vol.  V,  pp.  145—8, 

1 6 1-4,  178-80.) 

These  papers  were  criticized  in  a  letter  dated  New  York,  November 
24,  1864,  and  signed  by  Thos.  J.  Walsh,  which  was  printed  in  the  De- 
cember, 1864,  number  of  The  'Printer^  pp.  184-5.  To  this  Mr.  DeVinne 
replied  in  the  January,  1865,  number  of  The  Printer  (see  next  entry). 
This  was  followed  in  the  February  number,  p.  25,  by  a  letter  (1000 
words)  signed  by  Alfred  E.  Parks,  severely  criticizing  Mr. Walsh. 

Trade  Unions.  (In:  The  Printer.  New  York,  January, 
1865,  vol.  VI,  p.  7.) 

A  letter  answering  Mr.  Walsh's  criticism. 

[105:1 


THEODORE  LOW  DE  VINNE 

News  from  Abroad.    (In:    The  Printer*     New  York,  Feb- 
ruary, 1865,  vol.  VI,  p.  24.) 

A  letter  to  the  editor  of  The  'Printer,  dated  New  York,  February  2,  1 865, 
and  signed  **  Brevier."  The  letter  relates  to  some  erroneous  statements  in 
The  Printers' Journal  (London)  concerning  the  relations  between  employ- 
ers and  printers  in  New  York. 

Labor  and  Trade  Unions.    (In:    The  Printer,    New  York, 
August,  1865,  vol.  VI,  pp.  102-4.) 

A  letter  to  the  editor  of  The  Printer,  dated  New  York,  August  19, 
1865,  and  signed  '*T.  L.D." 

MedicEval    Printing.     (In:     The  'Printer^ s  JournaL     New 

York,  June  I  8  and  July  2,  1866.) 

This  gives  an  outline  of  a  paper  read  by  Mr.  DeVinne  before  the 
New  York  Typographical  Society. 

Gutenberg,  1 4OO-1 466.   (In:  The  Eclectic  Magazine,  New 
York,  July,  1869,  New  Series,  vol.  X,  p.  I  1 4.) 

Giambattista  Bodoni.    (In:  The  Printers^  Circular.    Phila- 
delphia, 187  I,  vol.  VI,  pp.  8-9.) 

About  Margins.  (In:  The  Printers^  Circular,  Philadelphia, 
I87I,  vol.  VI,  pp.  106-9,  144-5,  148-50,  202,  292-5.) 

Speed  in  Composition.   (In:  The  T^rinting  Gazette.   Cleve- 
land, January-December,  1 87  I ,  vol.  VI.) 

Under  this   general  title    twelve  articles    appeared    in  The  Printing 
Gazette  during  1 87 1,  one  each  month,  as  follows: 
January,  pp.  1-2:      Speed  in  Type-Setting — How  Acquired. 
February,  pp.  1-3:     The  Defects  of  and  Improvements  in  Type  Cases. 
March,  pp.  1-3:     The  Defects  and  Irregularities  of  the  Lower  Case. 
April,  pp.  1-2:     Attempts  to  Simplify  Justification  and  Spacing. 
May,  pp.  1-2:      Logotypes  and  Combination  Types. 
June,  pp.  1-2:     Beniowski's  Case  and  Logotypes. 
July,  pp.  1-2:      Improved  Methods  of  Making  Combination  Types. 
August,  September,  and  October,  pp.  1-2  in  each:     Type-Setting  and 

Distributing  Machines. 
November,pp.  1-2  :  The  Alden  Type-Setting  and  Distributing  Machines. 
December,  pp.  1-3:     Type-Setting  Machines. 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

Low  Prices  and  Ruinous   Competition.    (In:   The  Typo, 
Syracuse,  1 871,) 

The  article  is  quoted  in  The  'Printing  Gazette,  September,  1 87 1. 

About  Cheap  Types.   (In:  The  ^rinters^  Circular,    Phila- 
delphia, 1872,  vol.  VII,  pp.  46-7.) 

William  Caxton.    (In:   The  T^rinters^  Circular,    Philadel- 
phia, 1872,  vol.  VII,  pp.  241-3,  281-3,  321-3,  353-7.) 

The  Tariff  on  Types.    (In:  The  T^rinting  Gazette,    Cleve- 
land, March,  1872,  vol.  VII,  No.  3,  pp.  1-2;  also  in:  The 
^roofsheet,  Philadelphia,  March,  1872,  vol.  V,  pp.  67-8.) 
First  published  in  The  S^ew  York  Tribune,  March  6,  1872. 

About  Cheap  Types.    (In:    The  Printing  Gazette,  Cleve- 
land, May,  1872,  vol.  VII,  No.  5,  p.  2.) 

The   Cost  of  Printing.    (In:     The  Quadrat,     Pittsburgh, 
June,  1873,  vol.  I,  p.  49.) 

A  letter  from  Mr.  De  Vinnc  to  L.  F.  Marthens,  editor  of  The  Quadrat. 

The  Mazarin  Bible.    (In:    The  ^rinters^  Circular.    Phila- 
delphia, 1873,  vol.  VIII,  pp.  [233]-233.) 

Old  Specimen  Books.   (In:   The 'Printers^  Circular,    Phila- 
delphia, 1874,  vol.  IX,  pp.  45-7.) 

John  Gutenberg.    (In:    Scribner^s  Monthly.    New  York, 
May,  1876,  vol.  XII,  pp.  [73]-85,  il.,  por.,  facsim.) 

A  Printer  on  the  Limitations  of  Engraving  on  Wood.   (In : 
The  'Printing  Times,  London,  1879.) 

The  article  appeared  in  three  parts.    It  was  reviewed  in  The  Quadrat 
for  June,  1879. 

1:1073 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

The  Growth  of  Woodcut  Printing.  (In:  Scribner^s  Monthly. 
New  York,  April  and  May,  1880,  vol.  XIX,  pp.  860-74, 
vol.  XX,  pp.  34-45r  il-,  facsim.) 

The  First  Editor.  (In:  Scribner^s  Monthly.  New  York, 
October,  1 88 1,  vol.  XXII,  pp.  [889]-898,  por.,  facsim.) 

An  article  about  Aldus  Manutius. 

The  Only  Remedy.   (In:  The /American  bookmaker.   New 

York,  November,  1883,  vol.  I,  p.  158.) 

A  letter  "To  the  Editor  of  the  Bookmaker,"  dated  October  19,  1885. 
It  was  reprinted  in  The  /imerican  Printer f  July,  1 9 10,  vol.  L,  p.  608. 

Cooperation.  (In:  The  Century  Magazine.  New  York, 
July,  1886,  vol.  X,  pp.  403-4.) 

A  Printer's  Paradise.  The  Plantin-Moretus  Museum  at 
Antwerp.  (In:  The  Century  Magazine.  New  York,  June, 
I  888,  vol.  XIV,  pp.  [225]-245,  il.,  por.) 

This  was  reprinted,  with  additions  and  notes,  by  The  Grolier  Club, 
1888.     (See  our  No.  VII.) 

The  Printing  of  ** The  Century."  (In:  The  Century  Mag- 
azine. New  York,  November,  I  890,  vol.  XIX,  pp.  87-99, il.) 

Typography  in  Advertisements.   (In:   ^rinters^  Ink.    New 
York,  January  7,  I  89  I,  vol.  IV,  pp.  1-2.) 
Quoted  in  the  issue  of  February  26,  I9I4. 

Review  of  Blades'  **  Pentateuch  of  Printing."  (In:  The 
Nation.    New  York,  January  7,  I  892,  vol.  LI  V,  pp.  13-16.) 

[A  Letter  to  the  Chicago  Society  of  Proofreaders.]  (In: 
The  ^roofsheet.   Chicago,  March,  1895,  vol.  I,  p.  I  10.) 

Some  Questions  and  Answers.  (In :  The  ^roofsheet.  Chi- 
cago, July,  1895,  vol.  I,  pp.  213-15.) 

[108] 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

The  '^Century's  Printer''  on  the  ** Century's  Type."  (In: 
The  Century  Magazine.  New  York,  March,  1896,  vol. 
XXIX,  pp.  794-6,  facsim.  of  types.) 

The  Printing  of  William  Morris.  (In:  The  'Bookbuyer. 
New  York,  January,  1897,  vol.  XIII,  pp.  920-3,  facsim.  of 
types.) 

The  Adaptability  of  Paper.  (In :  The  Bookman,  New  York, 
May,  1897,  vol.  V,  pp.  222-4.) 

Reprinted  in  The  Inland 'Printer,  May,  1899. 

The  Printing  of  Books.  (In:  The  Outlook,  New  York,  De- 
cember 4,  1897,  vol.  LVII,  pp.  805-9.) 

The  Gutenberg  Anniversary.  (In:  The  Outlook,  New  York, 
May  5,  1 900,  vol.  LXV,  pp.  31-37,  il.,  por.) 

Mr.  De  Vinne  was  Honorary  Vice-President  of  the  Gutenberg  Festival. 

Some  Comments  on  the  Imitators  of  William  Morris.  (In: 
The  New  York  Times  Saturday  ^eviewj  October  27,  1 900.) 

Fads  in  Typography.  (In:  The  Inland  T^rinter,  Chicago, 
January,  1 90 1,  vol.  XXVI,  pp.  601-4,  facsim.) 

An  Address  Delivered  to  the  Employees  of  Theodore  L. 
De  Vinne,  on  December  27, 1 900.  (In:  The  Inland  T^rinter, 
Chicago,  February,  1 901,  vol.  XXVI,  p.  785,  por.) 

Perfecting  the  Press.  (In:  Current  Literature,  New  York, 
May,  I90I,  vol.  XXX,  pp.  533-5.) 

Some  History  of  Taste  in  Typography.  (In:  The  Inland 
Printer,    Chicago,  May,  1 90 1,  vol.  XXVII,  pp.  189-91.) 

[:i09] 


THEODORE  LOW  DEVINNE 

A  Review  of  **The  Oldest  Type-Printed  Book  in  Existence" 
[by  George  Washington  Moon].  (In:  The  Nation,  New 
York,  October  24,  I90I,  vol.  LXXIII,pp.  324-5.) 

About  Pages  and  Margins.  (In:  The 'Printing /I rt,  Cam- 
bridge, April  and  May,  I903,vol.  I,  pp.  27-31,  39-65,  il.) 

A  Morning  with  Theodore  L.  DeVinne.  (In:  The  Scien- 
tific /Imerican,  Printing  Number.  New  York,  November 
14,  1903,  vol.  LXXXIX,  p.  339.) 

The  report  of  an  interview  on  the  inventor  of  printing.  This  was  re- 
printed in  The  Inland  Printer,  January,  1904. 

Typographic  Effect.    (In:    The  Independent,    New  York, 
November  I  9,  I  903,  vol.  LV,  pp.  2723-5.) 
This  is  quoted  in  Printer's  Ink,  January,  1904. 

Head-Bands  and  Tail-Pieces.  (In:  The  Printing  /I rt, 
Cambridge,  July,  1 904,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  1 49-1  53,  facsim.) 

From  "Modern  Methods  of  Book  Composition,"  1904,  pp.  159-170. 
By  special  arrangement  with  Mr,  DeVinne  and  The  Century  Co.,  this 
appeared  before  the  publication  of  the  book. 

About  Sizes  of  Books.  (In:  The  Printing /I  rt,  Cambridge, 
September  and  October,  I904,  vol.  IV,  pp.  13-18,  73-77, 
tables.) 

Attractiveness  in  Books.  (In:  The  Independent,  New  York, 
December  15,  I  904,  vol.  LVI  I,  pp.  I  374-7,  facsim.) 

Samuel  Putnam  Avery.  (In:  The  Genealogical  and  'Bio- 
graphical Record,    New  York,  January,  I  905,  vol.  XXXVI, 

pp.  1-4.) 

This  was  reprinted  in  "Editorials  and  Resolutions  in  Memory  of 
Samuel  Putnam  Avery."     (See  our  No.  XXV.) 

[no:] 


LIST  OF  WRITINGS 

The  Printer's  Province.  (In:  The  Printing  /Irt,  Cam- 
bridge, May,  I905,vol.  V,  pp.  129-31.) 

Learning  the  Trade.  (In:  The  Printing /I rt.  Cambridge, 
December,  I905,vol.  VI,  pp.  209-12.) 

To  the  Compositor.  (In:  The 'Printing Art,  Cambridge, 
May,  I906,vol.  VII,  p.  160.) 

Good  Taste  in  Typography.  (In:  The  Printing /I  rt,  Cam- 
bridge, October,  I9O6,  vol.  VIII,p.  100.) 

[A  Letter  Regarding  the  Eight-Hour  Movement.]  (In:  The 
/Imerican  Printer,  New  York,  September,  1 907,  vol.  XL  V, 
pp.  [4l]-42.) 

A  Typographical  Study  in  Retrospect.  (In:  The  American 
Printer,    New  York,  July,  1 9 1 0,  vol.  L,  p.  602,  por.) 

The  same  number  of  The  American  'Printer  contains  on  p.  608  a  re- 
print of  Mr.  DeVinne's  letter  which  first  appeared  in  The  /Imerican 
bookmaker  (afterward  The  American  Printer)  in  November,  1885. 

Giambattista  Bodoni.  (In:  The  Printing  Art,  Cambridge, 
June,  1911,  vol.  XVII,  pp.  277-82,  por.,  facsim.) 

The  Printing  of  Wood-Engravings.  (In :  The  Print-Collec- 
tor^ s  Quarterly,    New  York,  July,  I9II,vol.  I,  pp.  365-78.) 

About  Cheap  Books.  (In:  The  American  Printer,  New 
York,  November,  I91 1,  vol.  LIII,  pp.  [3I3]-I4.) 


PII] 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


^esar 


